Ghaziabad air improves after 8 days of ‘severe’ AQI, NCR cities log another day of toxic haze

Between November 16 and 23, Ghaziabad recorded “severe” AQI levels of 419, 401, 434, 422, 430, 422, 434, and 437, making it the most polluted city in the country during this period.

Ghaziabad’s air quality index (AQI) dipped from “severe” to the higher end of the “very poor” category on Monday, settling at 396 after eight consecutive days of hazardous pollution, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. PM10 and PM2.5 continued to be the primary pollutants.

In Ghaziabad, three of the four monitoring stations were active on Monday. (Sakib Ali /HT photo)

CPCB figures showed Hapur as the most polluted city on Monday with an AQI of 416 in the “severe” band. Noida ranked second with 397, followed closely by Ghaziabad at 396. Greater Noida and Delhi were jointly placed fourth, each recording an AQI of 382.

Between November 16 and 23, Ghaziabad recorded “severe” AQI levels of 419, 401, 434, 422, 430, 422, 434, and 437, making it the most polluted city in the country during this period. Ghaziabad has logged 13 “very poor” air days so far this month.

Noida has seen five “severe” days and 16 “very poor” days in November. All four of its monitoring stations were functional on Monday. Sector 125 logged an AQI of 416, Sector 62 recorded 374, Sector 1 registered 399, and Sector 116 logged 392 by evening.

Greater Noida recorded five “severe” days and 12 “very poor” days this month, with only one “moderate” day so far. Its composite AQI was based on readings from stations at Knowledge Park III and Knowledge Park V, which registered 330 and 433 (“severe”), respectively.

This November has been the worst for air quality in the region since 2022. The city had only two “severe” days in November 2024, 2023, and 2022. In comparison, November 2021 saw 10 consecutive “severe” days between November 4 and 13.

In Ghaziabad, three of the four monitoring stations were active on Monday. Around 6pm, Loni logged 403, Sanjay Nagar 361, and Vasundhara 400. Data from Indirapuram was unavailable due to technical issues.

“All the pollution-abatement measures are underway, and our teams are regularly monitoring the instances of garbage burning, industrial emissions, and others. Different agencies are also taking up required measures,” said Ankit Kumar, regional officer of the UP Pollution Control Board.

In Gautam Budh Nagar district, comprising Noida and Greater Noida, AQI levels also remained in the “very poor” category, with Noida at 397 and Greater Noida at 382. Noida’s monitoring stations at sectors 125, 62, 1, and 116 recorded 415, 380, 399, and 392, respectively.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ghaziabad recorded a maximum temperature of 23.6 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 10.2°C. GB Nagar logged a minimum of 8.1°C. The maximum temperature for GB Nagar was not available.