Temperatures, AQI spiral above normal range in Gujarat

Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) Chairman RB Barad told The Indian Express, “It is usually seen that during winters – November to January – the AQI levels are higher than normal owing to the inversion effect. Factors other than industrial units like vehicular traffic, road condition and construction activity also contribute to higher pollution levels. This can be seen by comparing the AQI levels at SAC ISRO Bopal with no industrial units but the high construction activity.”

On the measures taken to control pollution levels, Barad said, “We are regularly monitoring the AQI levels. Combined efforts by different departments including GPCB, police, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) are in place to spread awareness and control high pollution levels.”

As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the weather was dry but officials said that “minimum temperatures rose appreciably to markedly in parts over the North Gujarat and Saurashtra.” The reason attributed by IMD officials is the wind direction. “Due to Easterly and Southeasterly, warm winds from East and South East have resulted in higher temperatures in the state. Pollution level might be one of the reasons but it is more because of the warm winds and moisture incursion. There is no impact of the Ethiopian Volcano in Gujarat,” IMD regional director AK Das told this paper.

However, Das said with the Northeasterly to Easterly winds prevailing at lower levels over the region from Friday onwards, the minimum temperatures will gradually fall after two days by 2-3 degrees.

There was considerable deviation in the minimum temperatures than the maximum temperatures. The minimum temperatures across cities in Gujarat were as high as nearly 7 degrees than normal temperatures. On Friday, Ahmedabad at 21.1 degrees Celsius was 6 degrees above normal temperature, Deesa at 20.3 degree Celsius was 6.7 degrees higher than normal, Vadodara at 21.2 degree Celsius was 5.2 higher than normal, Gandhinagar at 20.8 degrees Celsius was 5.6 degrees higher and Surat at 22 degrees Celsius was 3.7 degrees higher than normal temperature.