New Delhi: Air quality deteriorated sharply across north India on Wednesday, with several parts of Haryana recording ‘very poor’ air quality while neighbouring Punjab reported ‘poor’ levels. Delhi’s air quality also worsened further, entering the ‘toxic’ range.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 335 at 9 am — classified as ‘very poor’. The CPCB categorises AQI levels between 0-50 as ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 as ‘severe’.
In Haryana, the AQI was recorded at 382 in Dharuhera (Rewari), while Narnaul and Jind registered 367 each. Other locations with ‘very poor’ air quality included Charkhi Dadri (362), Rohtak (358), Yamunanagar (347), Fatehabad (320) and Ballabhgarh (318).
Several cities in the state also reported ‘poor’ air quality, including Bahadurgarh (272), Gurugram (290), Karnal (243), Bhiwani (298), Faridabad (218), Kaithal (237), Kurukshetra (226) and Sonipat (285), as per CPCB’s SAMEER app.
In Punjab, Amritsar recorded an AQI of 253 at 9 am, followed by Jalandhar (261), Patiala (207), Ludhiana (234) and Chandigarh (169).
Officials said the deteriorating air quality is likely linked to increased stubble burning and stagnant wind conditions, which prevent the dispersal of pollutants.
