Favourable weather gives Noida its best air since 2017

Noida recorded its best and lowest annual average air quality index (AQI) since 2017 in the year 2024, according to data compiled by the Uttar Pradesh pollution control board (UPPCB).

- Peeyush Khandelwal

GHAZIABAD: The data revealed that the annual average AQI in Noida stood at 184 in 2024, yet the PM2.5 and PM10 annual average concentrations still hovered above permissible limits in 2024.

Both the cities of Noida and Ghaziabad have only four air-quality monitoring stations each. However, there are areas in these cities that frequently suffer high pollution levels, but these remain undetected, environmentalists have pointed out.

Data from the UPPCB indicates that the annual average AQI for Noida stood at 214, 229, 218, 189, 208, 199 and 188 in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively. The annual figure stood at 184 in 2024, which is the lowest since 2017.

UP pollution control board officials attributed the lower AQI to favourable meteorological conditions that prevailed during the second half of 2024, which included spells of rain and better wind speed, which helped the dispersal of pollutants.