Noida: Noida air quality and Ghaziabad have dropped some notches in the first half of 2021 compared to six months ago.
The two districts have seen an increase in the number of “severe” days, when AQI has more than 400.
Sudden changes in this level of air quality have confused officials because the source of pollution in the region remains similar in both time frames.
Officials at the Uttar Pradesh (UPPCB) pollution control agency insisted on the study of changing pollution levels.
Two pollution hotspots in Noida and Ghaziabad recorded a “severe” increase in AQI days.
They are sector 116 stations in Noida, which includes areas that see heavy construction such as the extension of noida and 7x sector, and Loni Station in Ghaziabad.
While Loni reported only two days “severe” in January last year, it rose to 10 for the same month in 2021.
In fact, between January and June, the total “severe” in Loni was only three for 2020 and 16 years this.
The 116 Noida sector station has recorded three days “heavy” in 2020 compared to eight in the first half of this year.
Aqi records for these two stations patchwork for 2019.
“The local reason for this surge must be examined.
The main cause can burn waste and management of improper construction waste.
This year, there is more traffic on the streets compared to last year, when locking begins Early.
But the cause of large qualitative differences must be investigated, “said Anumite Roychowdhury, Executive Director of Research and Advocacy and Head of Air Pollution Wing in the Center for Science and Environment (CSE).
Other stations in Ghaziabad, such as Indirapuram, also showed a significant increase in “severe” AQI days.
Indirapuram has recorded eight days of “heavy” this year compared to only three in 2020.
Air quality expert Rekha Singh said, “Last year, we have reached an almost ideal level of air due to prolonged locking.
Air has cleaned up quickly.
Year This, it’s not the same.
What we can say is that Aqi in NCR will return to what it is before locking.
“UppCB members said they needed to investigate the reason behind unstable air quality.
“The source of pollution in Noida has not increased.
But suddenly, we can see nails in Aqi occasionally.
We are investigating this.
Overall, Aqi has been worse this year than the same period last year,” said Praveen Kumar, regional officers at Uppcb.