The air quality of most Haryana cities, particularly those are in the National Capital Region (NCR), deteriorated after Diwali night.
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According to experts, the emission from firecrackers and an increase in the share of smoke from stubble burning cases reported during the Diwali holidays could be a key factor for the air quality worsening in Haryana cities.
No city has satisfactory AQI
The Central Pollution Control Board data shows that for the first time this season, the air quality of five Haryana cities of Gurugram, Faridabad, Charkhi Dadri, Faridabad and Ballabhgarh dropped to ‘very poor’ category, with the air quality index above 300 on Tuesday morning.
The air quality of 11 cities of the state, including Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Sonepat, Bahadrugarh, Jind, Bhiwani, Hisar, Fatehabad and Manesar, was categorised as ‘poor’.
Not a single city in the state is in the ‘satisfactory’ and ‘good’ category with the air quality of Panchkula, Narnaul, Panipat and Sirsa dipping to ‘moderate’.
Spike in farm fires to blame
State government officials monitoring the pollution are of the view that the sudden rise in the incidents of farm fires is also a key factor behind the deteriorating air quality in the region, especially in the industrial cities of the NCR, as the state has seen the highest number of 217 cases in this season on Sunday, taking the total number of stubble burning cases to 1,110.
“Since the sowing of wheat is at its peak, Haryana may witness more incidents of farm fires in the days to come as the rains delayed harvesting, shortening the window for sowing the next crop. Harvesting is still on in several districts, especially Fatehabad, Sirsa, Kaithal and Jind districts,” said an official from the state agriculture department, requesting anonymity.
AQI of Haryana cities
Very poor category
Gurugram: 314
Charkhi Dadri: 302
Dharuhera: 334
Faridabad: 312
Ballabhgarh: 323
Poor category
Ambala: 238
Yamunanagar: 203
Kurukshetra: 266
Karnal: 231
Sonepat: 241
Bahadurgarh: 280
Jind: 296
Bhiwani: 291
Hisar: 251
Fatehabad: 244
Manesar: 284
Moderate category
Narnaul: 181
Panchkula: 154
Panipat: 192
Sirsa: 188
