At 425, City Beautiful gets new tag with worst AQI in country

Chandigarh continued to choke on Thursday as the air quality was reported worst in the country.

The AQI level reaching to an alarming figure of 425, classified as “severe.”

Such higher AQI indicates a hazardous level of pollution, posing serious health risks, especially to vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and those with respiratory issues.

According to official data, the Air Quality Index at 7 am in the city was 418, however, by 9 am, the average AQI was 412.

Heavy smog has enveloped the city, significantly reducing visibility and affecting daily life.

The Chandigarh Meteorological Department has also issued a yellow alert in the region stating that the conditions will persist till Friday.

According to Met department experts, western disturbance approaching in mountains increased the moisture content in the region, reducing air circulation and resulting in dense morning fog.

The region’s worsening air quality is not solely a result of crop burning.

Chandigarh Meteorological Department Director Surinder Paul said other significant contributors include dust and urban pollution sources like vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions.

The geography of the Indo-Gangetic Plain worsens the situation, as temperature inversions common in winter trap pollutants close to the ground.

Pavneet Kaur Kingra, head of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology department, said the most concerning aspect is the rising evening temperature.

Currently, the night temperature is hovering over 18 degrees Celsius in the region while the normal temperature remains around 11 to 12 degrees Celsius during the second week of November.

“The PAU observatory monitoring weather was installed in 1970 and this phenomenon has been observed for the first time in all these years,” said Kingra, adding that still conditions are prevailing in the region with air velocity remaining around 2 km per hour. In such conditions, pollutants remain trapped, forming a toxic air bubble over the region.

KK Gill, Principal Agriculture Metrologist, said irrigation to the wheat fields is also adding to fog formation.

“Currently there is morning and evening fog. During the day it turns into smog and dust particles trapped in it. In such still conditions, paddy residue burning could have a detrimental impact and could add to more pollution,” he said.

In Punjab, as many as 509 fresh farm fire incidents on Wednesday added more toxins in the already polluted atmosphere with industrial towns of Mandi Gobindgarh (322) and Amritsar (310) remaining in most polluted cities.

Faridkot and Ferozepur topped the districts with 91 farm fires recorded in the single day followed by Moga with 88. Total farm fire count reached 7,621.