9 days on, Ludhiana gets some sunshine hours, AQI still ‘poor’

After nine of days of no sunshine hours, the city on Friday recorded some shine as the blanket of smog receded a little.
The air quality index, however, was still in the ‘poor’ category, recorded at a highest of 262.
The city has been engulfed by thick smog since November 6.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies AQI levels as: 0-50 ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’ and 401-500 ‘severe’.
The AQI has been ‘poor’ or worse since mid-October mid. On November 13, the particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) levels hit 500, the highest reading in the monitors, multiple times during the day. Heath expert cautioned that exposure to air with high PM 2.5 values can lead to sever health issues, especially for those with respiratory and heart ailments.
On November 12, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar was to attend a conference at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), but had to cancel as his plane could not land due to the thick smog cover.
Amid the poor air conditions, the out-patient department (OPD) at the local civil hospital has reported a threefold increase in patients complaining of breathing distress.
“Ever since smog engulfed the city, there has been a spike in people with lung and heart problems turning up here,” said Dr Amanpreet Kaur, senior physician at the civil hospital.
On the effect of pollution on the people, pulmonologist Dr Pardeep Kapoor said the minuscule PM 2.5 can travel deep into the lungs and cause irritation, leading to breathing distress.
The maximum temperature on Friday was recorded at 22.2 degrees Celsius and mercury hit a low of 15.6 degrees Celsius, according to the data collected by the PAU.
Experts cite paddy straw burning as a major contributor to the pollution. Weather experts say the smog is likely to continue till straw burning persists.
“The window for wheat sowing is between October 15 and November 15. Most of the paddy has been harvested and the farmers are clearing their fields for wheat sowing. This may end by November, and we can expect clear sunshine after that,” said Sompal Singh, professor at PAU’s department of agricultural meteorology.