Hero Image

Air quality of six Haryana cities 'severe'

By: Amit Kumar

KARNAL: The air quality of six cities in Haryana remained severe on Thursday.

According to the Central Pollution Control Bureau (CPCB), Palwal was the most polluted in the state where the air quality index (AQI) touched 465. It was followed by Hisar (433), Faridabad (437), Fatehabad (418), Gurgaon (412) and Jind (410).



The AQI was in very poor category in Bhiwani (400), Sirsa (391), Rohtak (385), Panipat (377), Narnaul (370), Bahadurgarh (368), Ballabgarh (332), Kurukshetra (316) and Karnal (310).



These AQI levels are 24-hour average of the readings from 4pm on Wednesday to 4pm on Thursday.

The sun did not shine over many cities of the state on Thursday due to a thick blanket of haze. Visibility also reduced substantially in most parts of the state, due to which daily commuters faced difficulties while travelling. People also complained of eye irritation and respiratory infections.

The air quality index of 11 cities and towns, including Hisar, Bhiwani, Manesar, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Jind, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Rohtak, Panipat and Palwal, had reached the severe category on Wednesday.

Showing slight improvement, six cities remain in the severe category, while others emerged in very poor category, as per to the 4pm bulletin of CPCB.

Only 5 stubble burning incidents were reported in the state on Wednesday. With this, total active fire locations have reached 6,104 in Haryana from 25 September to November 13.

As per the data, incidents of stubble burning in Haryana have decreased.

Experts have predicted that the condition may improve slightly by November 15.

Sub-divisional officer (SDO) of the agriculture department, Sunil Bazad, said the farm fires count had gone down, but a thick blanket of haze was reported on Wednesday.

READ ON APP