Gurgaon: The city’s air quality deteriorated sharply in the past 24 hours, slipping from ‘poor’ zone on Monday to ‘very poor’ on Tuesday with an AQI of 378. AQI was 297 on Monday. Three out of four active air monitoring stations reported readings above 300, with two stations crossing 430. Sector 51 (436) and Vikas Sadan (434) recorded AQI readings in the ‘severe’ range. Similarly, Gwalphari (326) remained in the ‘very poor’ category, while Teri Gram (288) stayed in the ‘poor’ range.
The city saw repeated pollution spikes since the start of the month, with readings crossing 300 on multiple days.The sharpest rise was recorded on Jan 9 (373), followed by Jan 10 (349) and Jan 4 (333), suggesting that pollution levels in the city remained persistent despite brief fluctuations.Health advisories caution that prolonged exposure to very poor air can trigger respiratory illness, particularly among children, elderly people, and those with pre-existing heart or lung ailments. The advisory displayed on the state dashboard notes that air quality at these high level can cause serious respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.An AQI between 301 and 400 is classified as ‘very poor’, a range associated with increased respiratory stress, especially for children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing conditions.Pollution levels fluctuated over the last few days. The city AQI was recorded at 349 on Jan 10, improved to 280 on Jan 11, rose again to 297 on Jan 12, and then spiked to 371 on Tuesday, indicating a worsening trend.Experts attribute such winter spikes to stagnant atmospheric conditions, including low wind speed and reduced mixing height, which trap pollutants closer to the surface. Emissions from vehicles, dust from construction activity, and local sources often accumulate in the absence of dispersal conditions, pushing air quality into hazardous categories.With calm winds, low mixing height and winter inversion trapping pollutants close to the surface, officials said any significant improvement is currently unlikely unless weather conditions change, such as the arrival of stronger winds or rainfall.Residents were advised to avoid prolonged outdoor exposure, especially during peak hours, and to limit outdoor exercise until pollution levels improve. Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality has deteriorated to the ‘very poor’ zone with an AQI of 360. It was recorded at 297 in the ‘poor’ range a day before on Monday.The air quality index is likely to stay in the ‘very poor’ category in the city until Jan 16 and even after, according to the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi.
