Noida's air quality turns 'very poor; haze returns across Gautam Budh Nagar

NOIDA: A layer of haze returned to Gautam Budh Nagar district on Monday as air pollution levels deteriorated, with Noida recording an air quality index (AQI) of 327 in the "very poor" category and Greater Noida recording an AQI of 287 "poor", according to UPPCB AQI data on Monday afternoon.

The deterioration followed a period of comparatively better air quality in October.

Readings on the AQI calendar showed Noida's AQI was recorded 351 on February 4 and 311 on February 11, both in the "very poor" category. In contrast, the highest daily reading visible for October was 284, in the poor category.

Monday's reading of 327, therefore, marks a return to the "very poor" band after several months of comparatively lower readings this year.

Monitoring station readings showed considerable variation across Noida. Sector 62 recorded an AQI of 389, followed by Sector 39 at 351 and Sector 150 at 332. Sector 125 recorded 290, Sector 116 recorded 299 and Sector 1 registered 298.

In Greater Noida, Knowledge Park V recorded 351, placing it in the very poor category, while Knowledge Park III and Shiv Nadar University recorded 244 and 266, respectively.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies AQI readings between 301 and 400 as very poor, while readings between 201 and 300 fall in the poor category. Prolonged exposure to very poor air can cause respiratory illness even among otherwise healthy people.

"The haze was quite visible today, particularly in the afternoon. The skyline looked blurred, and the air felt heavy while stepping outdoors. It is worrying that pollution levels have climbed again within days of the brief improvement," said Amit Kumar, a resident of Sector 46.

Mahesh Palawat, vice-president of meteorology and climate change at Skymet Weather, said, "In absence of adequate rainfall and strong surface winds, pollutants can accumulate near the ground, particularly as temperatures fall during the night and early morning. This can lead to a deterioration in air quality, with local weather conditions influencing how pollutants disperse."

Meanwhile, Gautam Budh Nagar recorded a maximum temperature of 29°C and a minimum of 19.1°C on Monday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

No rainfall was recorded in the preceding 24 hours. Relative humidity stood at 74% in the evening and 85% in the morning.

The forecast indicated shallow fog on Tuesday, with temperatures expected to range between 18°C and 30°C. Clear skies are forecast for Wednesday, with no weather warning issued for the coming days.

In response to the deterioration in air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Monday invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the entire National Capital Region with immediate effect.

In its November 2 order, the CAQM sub-committee noted that Delhi's AQI had risen from 117 (moderate) on October 31 to 261 (poor) on November 1 and 324 (very poor) on November 2. It attributed the deterioration to unfavourable meteorological conditions and said forecasts indicated that air quality was likely to remain in the very poor category in the coming days.

Stage I of Grap had been in force since October 28. With Stage II now invoked, agencies across the NCR have been directed to implement and intensify measures under both stages to prevent further deterioration in air quality.

In neighbouring Ghazibad district, the air quality remained in the poor category on Monday, with the city's AQI recorded at 292, according to real-time monitoring data.

The dominant pollutant was PM2.5, with concentrations remaining elevated across monitoring stations. The highest reading of 375 was recorded at New Tehsil-Loni, while the citywide readings ranged from 115 to 375, indicating considerable variation in pollution levels across the district.