GURGAON: With a slight dip in temperature, concentration of PM 2.5 increased by 32% in the city on Saturday. Pollution board officials say the decrease in temperature led to the increase in pollution. Doctors say there is a need for public warning on a few days when pollution goes up as the pattern of polluted days is quite different this winter.
On Saturday, the minimum temperature went down to 8 degrees Celsius from 11 degrees Celsius on Friday and Thursday. As a result, the concentration of PM 2.5 increased to 244 micrograms per cubic metre, while the highest concentration of PM 2.5 was recorded at 184 micrograms per cubic metre on Friday. On Thursday, the highest concentration of PM 2.5 remained at 116 micrograms per cubic metre. The air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 420 on Saturday morning, while it remained below 350 on Thursday and Friday.
"There is a difference of almost two degrees in the minimum temperature of Saturday and Friday, which led to an increase in moisture and thus a slight increase in pollution. Moisture leads to trapping of particulate matter in the lower atmosphere. Thankfully, the sun has been very kind and we are witnessing bright sunny days. Sunlight not only leads to easy dispersal of particulate matter, but also helps in increasing wind speed," said an official of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB).
Weathermen said the temperature might go up on Monday, but the foggy days will come back during the next weekend. "As per the forecast, the next five days will be a little warmer. And a dip in temperature will again be witnessed on Christmas weekend, but again the sunlight will be adequate. We can expect cloudy days only in January," said an official of Met department.
According to experts, there is a need for public warning on days when pollution goes up. "Nobody is talking about air pollution these days because it is not visible. However, if one looks at the pollution figures, it has gone up to hazardous levels many a time. Even though the Supreme Court is now talking about putting in place a system for warning the public in case of pollution, there is also a need to make public warning system figurers-driven. PM2.5 is not visible so there is a need to keep a close watch over pollution figures every day," said Dr Himanshu Garg, a senior pulmonologist from city-based Artemis Hospital.
Niranjan Raje, a former member of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, said, "Even though the pollution levels are going up on certain days, not many are talking about it because the days are relatively brighter. However, the level of air pollution goes up during early morning and evening. There is definitely a need to put in place a robust public warning system based on every day pollution levels, especially in winters."
