The city’s air quality remained in the moderate category for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, following a spike to the very poor level on Diwali night.
The city’s AQI, calculated as the average of readings from all three monitoring stations, had returned to the moderate category by Monday. UT director of environment and Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee member secretary Saurabh Kumar attributed the improvement to prevailing weather conditions. However, it remained within the normal range.
The city’s AQI stood at 160 at 7 pm on Monday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). At the same time on Tuesday, it was recorded at 141, indicating a marginal improvement, although it remained in the same category. If similar conditions persist, the AQI may fall into the satisfactory category, below 100, soon. Night temperature drops to 13.5°C Meanwhile, the minimum temperature dropped to 13.5°C on Tuesday, the lowest recorded this season so far, from 14.6°C on Monday. The maximum temperature, meanwhile, rose from 31.4°C on Monday to 32.3°C on Tuesday, four degrees above normal.
“Due to prevalent weather conditions, the air quality has improved significantly.
We are also hopeful of some November rain in the city to further cleanse the air,” he said.
Over the next three days, the maximum temperature is expected to remain between 30°C and 31°C, while the minimum is likely to hover between 14°C and 15°C. Rain is unlikely in Chandigarh. A Western Disturbance (WD) is likely to affect the region on Wednesday and Thursday, although its impact is expected to be more pronounced over northern Punjab.
