Chandigarh’s AQI turns poor again
As per the daily AQI bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board, Chandigarh AQI was 210, making it more polluted than Delhi, which had an AQI of 174
The city’s brief respite from poor air quality has ended. After a period of moderate levels of below 200, the Air Quality Index (AQI) plunged back into the poor category on Saturday, primarily due to a combination of falling temperatures and decreased wind speeds, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials.
As per the daily AQI bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board, the city’s AQI was 210, making it more polluted than Delhi, which had an AQI of 174. This value is derived by taking the average of all monitoring stations at 4 pm. Muzzafarpur in Bihar was the most polluted city in India on Saturday with an AQI of 306.
Speaking about this, IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul said this had to do with low wind speeds in the city. “Even with sunny weather, winds are needed to scatter the pollutants, even as night temperature is still a bit on the lower side,” he added.
An AQI between 201-300 is considered poor and can cause breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure. The AQI had turned very poor earlier this month as well, crossing 300, during spells of dense fog.
Republic Day festivities to be bright and sunny
The prevailing bright, sunny weather is likely to continue on Republic Day as well, promising a perfect day for celebrations, as per IMD.
While a weak Western Disturbance (WD) is going to affect the city on Wednesday, rain remains unlikely.
On Saturday, the maximum temperature went from 22.8°C on Friday to 23.1°C, 4.8 degrees above normal. On the other hand, the minimum temperature fell from 9.6°C on Friday to 8.6°C on Saturday, 1.2 degrees above normal.
Over the next three days, the maximum temperature is expected to remain between 22°C and 23°C, while the minimum temperature will stay between 7°C and 9°C.
