Kurukshetra: 7 Haryana cities in poor air quality category says Central Pollution Control Board

Kurukshetra : As per data of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) , of 17 cities with poor air quality in the country, seven cities — Karnal, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Bhiwani, Bahadurgarh, Faridabad and Rohtak — are from Haryana.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) was poor, recording the average particulate matter (PM) 2.5 at 270 in Faridabad, 247 in Bahadurgarh, 240 in Kaithal, 221 in Bhiwani, 217 in Karnal, 208 in Kurukshetra, and 202 in Rohtak.

Meanwhile, the air quality in Ambala was recoded to be satisfactory with PM 2.5 at 87. Environmental experts said besides farm fires, vehicular pollution, construction activities and road dust were contributing to air pollution. Dr Dipti Grover, Assistant Professor, Institute of Environmental studies, Kurukshetra University, said poor air quality in Kurukshetra and nearby areas could be attributed to the harvest season as crop residue burning and grain dust were contributing factors. Cold weather played a role as it tends to trap pollutants close to the ground, leading to a build-up of pollutants and a decrease in air quality. Nitin Mehta, Regional Officer, State Pollution Control Board, Kurukshetra, said: “Despite lower farm fire incidents, the air quality has turned poor. Present climatic conditions are major contributors.”

Meanwhile, stopping farmers from burning paddy stubble continues to be a big challenge. Today, the HARSAC reported 58 stubble-burning incidents, taking the tally this season to 871 in the state so far. Fatehabad district has reported the maximum 128 cases, followed by Ambala (114), Kaithal (113), Jind (110), Kurukshetra (102), Karnal (55), Hisar (55), Yamunanagar (53), Sonepat (49), Palwal (45), Panipat (18), Sirsa (13), Rohtak (seven), Jhajjar (four), Bhiwani (two), Faridabad (two) and Panchkula (one).