Jammu’s air quality nearing ‘poor’
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Nov 14: Some parts of Jammu and Kashmir are likely to receive rain and light snowfall during next 24 hours while Jammu’s air quality is heading towards `poor’ category for the last couple of days.
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A Meteorological Department official has predicted light snowfall over higher reaches and rain at many places of Kashmir and a few places of Jammu region during Thursday night and Friday.
The MeT official has also issued an advisory keeping in view the inclement weather, claiming that there is a possibility of temporary disruption of surface transportation due to snowfall over Zojila, Razdan Pass, Sadhna Pass, Sinthan Top, Chhatergalla and Mughal Road during November 15.
The advisory asked tourists, trekkers and travellers etc to plan their trip accordingly during the night of November 14 till November 15.
There is a possibility of light rain and snow on higher reaches and at scattered places on November 15 and mid of the next day, thereafter, the weather is likely to improve towards afternoon, the MeT office said adding the weather will generally remain dry till November 23.
On November 24, the weather will generally remain cloudy with the possibility of light rain and snow over higher reaches and at isolated places. The weather is likely to remain dry till November 30.
The minimum temperature recorded during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday in Srinagar was 3.3 degree Celsius above normal of 1.3 while the maximum temperature recorded the other day at 15.0 degree Celsius and it was 0.3 degree celsius above normal for the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, the MeT official said.
The Jammu City and many parts of the region including Samba and Kathua experienced sharp fall in temperature this evening. The people took out warm clothes, declaring onset of winters here.
Jammu experienced about 3-4 deg C fall in temperature as compared to last two days’ day temperature. Jammu recorded a minimum temperature of 12.4 deg C, Katra town 12.2 deg C, Bhaderwah 4.1 while Banihal town had 3.0 deg C temperature today. Maximum temperature in Jammu was 24 deg C as compared to previous day’s temperature of 26.2 deg C.
While Delhi’s air quality has reached to the level of `severe’ category (428-430), Jammu’s air pollution level has been nearing `poor’ category. During morning hours and the mid day, the visibility in Jammu city has been affected for the last couple of days due to increasing level of pollution.
Chairman JKPCC, Vasu Yadav said that the present level of air pollution in Jammu will be nearing 200 AQI (Air Quality Index). Today, it is between190-195. From 201 to 300 it is ‘poor’. During Diwali this year, the Jammu’s air quality remained around 169 AQI.
“This is not happening for the first time but happens due to climatic conditions every year. After rainfall, the visibility will improve,” Yadav added.
Amid a thick layer of fog covering the border areas in Samba and Kathua districts, security forces have sounded alert as a preventive measure. With poor visibility, the possibility of infiltration increases along the Pakistan border. The Border Security Force has already put in place a multi-tier security setup along the IB as a precautionary measure to foil infiltration bids.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi’s Air Quality Index at 9 am on Thursday was 428, which falls in the ‘severe’ category.
“Of 39 monitoring stations in Delhi, 32 recorded air quality in the ‘severe’ category, with readings above 400. These stations include Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, IGI Airport, ITO, Mandir Marg, North Campus, Patparganj, Punjabi Bagh, and Pusa among others,” an official said.
The air quality in Delhi on Wednesday was reported as the worst in the country, plunging into the ‘severe’ category for the first time this season.
The city’s 24-hour AQI, recorded at 4 pm every day, stood at 418 on Wednesday, up from 334 the previous day.
An 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 “severe plus”, a CPCB official said.
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