Chandigarh: The air quality index (AQI) in several places in Punjab and Haryana recorded in 'poor' and 'very poor’' categories on Friday – the morning after Diwali festival.
For record, an AQI between zero to 50 is considered 'good', between 50 and 100 is considered 'satisfactory’, 101 and 200, 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor' and 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'.
The AQI was recorded at 314 in Amritsar, 331 in Mandi Gobindgarh, district Fatehgarh Sahib, 308 in Khanna, 256 in Jalandhar, 244 in Patiala and 234 in Ludhiana.
Meanwhile, Punjab also recorded 484 farm fires on Diwali day – the biggest spike of the paddy harvest season.
While Sangrur logged 89 incidents of farm fires, 65 cases were reported from Ferozepur, 40 in Mansa, 36 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 35 each in Tarn Taran and Kapurthala, 33 in Patiala, 29 in Amritsar and 28 cases in Bathinda.
According to media reports, the total farm fire count had reached 2,950 in the state to this date; while about 177 cases were reported by October 12, 173 cases of farm fires were reported on October 15 and 163 on October 13. Also, as many as 219 incidents of stubble burning were reported on October29.
Likewise in Haryana, according to reports, the AQI in Jind was recorded at 340, 308 at Ambala and Gurugram, 304 at Kurukshetra, 306 in Charkhi Dadri, 296 in Faridabad, 289 in Bahadurgarh, 288 in Bhiwani, 272 in Rohtak, 265 in Yamunanagar, 264 in Kaithal, 259 in Sonepat, 252 in Hisar and 232 in Karnal.
Meanwhile, a surge in the incidents of stubble burning was also reported from several parts of Haryana; while the total number of farm fires this season was reported to have reached 484 since September 15, Kaithal topped the districts lists with 147 incidents followed by Kurukshetra, 125 cases, Karnal 78 and Ambala with 77 cases.
Likewise, while Jind recorded 59 cases, Fatehabad saw 51 cases of farm fires, Sonepat, 42, Faridabad, 36, Palwal, 33, Panipat, 30, Sirsa, 24 and Hisar, 22.
