Panchkula's Air Quality Remains "Poor" After Diwali
Panchkula's air quality continued to pose a threat to public health even after Diwali, with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 251 on Thursday at 4 pm. The Central Pollution Control Board's data showed a slight improvement from Wednesday's AQI of 268, but the district still fell under the "poor" category. This range of AQI poses breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure. With no forecast of rain in the next few days, it may take some time for air quality to improve.
Key Takeaways:
- The average AQI in Panchkula on Thursday at 4 pm was 251, falling in the "poor" category.
- The AQI in Panchkula on Wednesday was 268, also in the "poor" category.
- The district's air quality has only slightly improved since Diwali, with the timings for bursting crackers between 8 pm and 10 pm on both Monday and Tuesday resulting in rampant violations.
- There was no mechanism in place to check whether the firecrackers used were green or not, as per the report.
- The Central Pollution Control Board ranked the district's air quality as "poor" for two consecutive days.
- The district's sole monitoring station is located in Sector 6.
Statistics:
- Average AQI in Panchkula on Thursday at 4 pm: 251.
- AQI in Panchkula on Wednesday: 268.
- Timeframe of Diwali celebrations: Monday and Tuesday, with timings for bursting crackers between 8 pm and 10 pm.
- Number of monitoring stations in Panchkula: 1 (located in Sector 6).
- AQI categories and corresponding health impacts:
+ 101-200: moderate, though it poses breathing discomfort to people with lung, asthma, and heart diseases.
+ 201-300: poor, posing breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure.
+ 51-100: satisfactory, though it causes minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.
+ 0-50: minimal impact.
Sources:
- Central Pollution Control Board's data on AQI in Panchkula.
- Times of India, "Panchkula: Air quality remains 'poor' even 3 days after Diwali" article published on [no date mentioned].