Chandigarh’s AQI crosses 400 on Lohri night

Chandigarh’s air quality index (AQI) fell into the “severe” category on Saturday night as city residents celebrated Lohri. In parts of the city, the index on Lohri night surpassed the figures from Diwali night.
The city’s air quality was also worse than some of the stations in Delhi.
At 430, the average AQI at 9 pm was worst at the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) in Sector 53, followed by 423 at the Sector 22 CAAQMS, both in the “severe” category. AQI at the Sector 25 station was 330, placed in the “very poor” category.
In Panchkula, meanwhile, the AQI was 302 at the Haryana State Pollution Control Board station in Sector 6, placing the city in the “very poor” category as well.
Worst since Diwali
The AQI came close to the range that was reported around the Diwali festivities, when it had touched a height of 453 in Sector 53. This is the first time AQI has crossed the 400 mark since. The index went past the Diwali figures at the Sector 22 and Sector 25 stations.
The spike in pollutants has also been attributed to the lack of strong winds and rain.
Air quality had turned “very poor” on January 11 and failed to improve a day later.
As per India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials, rain had helped improve air quality by the second week of January in the preceding year. This season, however, no rain has been recorded since December 1.
Chandigarh’s AQI is usually far better than Delhi. On Saturday, however, the most crowded places in Delhi, including Punjabi Bagh was in close range with an average AQI of 477. Dwarka had an index of 469 and Okhla 464. Chandigarh’s air quality was, in fact, worse than some stations in Delhi like Lodhi Road, where AQI was 414, and Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, where AQI was 428.
As per IMD officials, with no chances of rain in the coming days and foggy weather to continue, the air quality is likely to continue on the poorer side. A fresh Western Disturbance (WD) is expected around January 16, but as of now it’s unlikely to bring any rain.
Due to a longer sunny spell on Saturday afternoon, maximum temperature rose from 12.4°C on Friday to 15.6°C on Saturday, but was still 3 degrees below normal. Minimum temperature rose from 5.3°C on Friday to 6.8°C on Saturday, which was normal. In the next three days, maximum temperature will remain around 16°C while minimum temperature will remain around 7°C.
While one flight was delayed at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, a total of 30 flights, including 19 departure flights, were delayed till Saturday midnight.