Ghaziabad continues its streak of being the country’s most polluted city even as the stage-1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) remains enforced, as per the AQI bulletin issued by the Central Pollution Control Board on Friday.
Earlier, on October 14, the city logged an AQI of 271—highest in the country for the day—prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management to enforce Grap-I in the National Capital Region.
Just two days later, On October 16, the city topped the list again, recording an AQI of 307, which dropped negligibly to 306 on Friday.
“We analyzed the situation, and found that the reduced wind velocity in the region has considerably affected the dispersal of pollutants. The primary pollutant in Ghaziabad— PM10—shoots up due to road dust and vehicular traffic during the festive season,” said Ankit Kumar, regional officer of the UP pollution control board at Ghaziabad.
“We expect some wind activity in a day or two, resulting in the faster dispersal of suspended pollutants. On our part, several measures under Grap, including water sprinkling, mechanized road sweeping, are being taken up regularly. We have also started with enforcement activities, and a report is expected soon,” Kumar added.
Meanwhile, in Noida and Greater Noida, the AQI on Friday stood at 278 and 246, respectively. Noida had emerged as the most polluted city across the country on October 15, logging an AQI of 318.
“With Diwali around the corner and the Supreme Court order allowing green crackers, the pollution levels are expected to rise further in the region. Poor road conditions and traffic congestion have worsened the situation,” said Sushil Raghav, an environmentalist from Ghaziabad.
According to Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board data, the air quality index Ghaziabad and Noida has dropped over the years. Ghaziabad recorded average AQIs of 206, 181 and 176 in 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively, while Noida’s readings were 199, 188, and 184 for the corresponding years.
Earlier, in September, Ghaziabad stood 12th in Swachh Vayu Survekshan among 48 cities with a population of 10 lakhs and above. In 2024, Ghaziabad ranked 18th in its category, while it stood 12th in 2023.
According to the air quality index scale, the AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, 401 and 450 ‘severe’, and above 450 is ‘severe plus.’