Chandigarh/New Delhi, Oct 22: Chandigarh experienced relatively moderate air quality on Wednesday, recording an AQI of 169 at 9 am, placing it in the CPCB’s ‘moderate’ category. Despite this, surrounding regions in Haryana and Punjab faced a sharp decline in air conditions.
Haryana’s Rewari district town Dharuhera led with the worst pollution, hitting an AQI of 382. Narnaul and Jind followed at 367 each, Charkhi Dadri at 362, Rohtak 358, Yamunanagar 347, Fatehabad 320, and Ballabhgarh 318. Other cities including Gurugram, Bhiwani, Bahadurgarh, Sonipat, Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, and Faridabad reported AQI levels in the ‘poor’ range. “Vehicular emissions, industrial activity, and stubble burning are contributing to these high pollution levels,” a Haryana State Pollution Control Board official said.
In Punjab, air quality remained in the poor category, with Amritsar at 253, Jalandhar 261, Ludhiana 234, and Patiala 207. Delhi, meanwhile, continued to endure hazardous conditions with an AQI of 335 at 9 am.
The IMD reported the city’s minimum temperature at 21.8°C, 3.4°C above normal, with 91 per cent humidity recorded early morning. It forecast morning mist and haze followed by clear skies and a maximum temperature of around 33°C. “People should take precautions, particularly those with respiratory conditions, as pollution levels remain high,” an IMD official advised.
