The average air quality was recorded in the "very poor" category in Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida, while it was "poor" in Gurgaon and Faridabad, according to data released by a government agency on Wednesday.
Pollutants PM2.5 and PM10 also remained in the air of the five immediate neighbours of Delhi, according to the air quality index (AQI) maintained by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
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", and 401 and 500 "severe".
The average 24-hour AQI at 4 pm on Wednesday was 356 in Ghaziabad, 311 in Noida, 348 in Greater Noida, 294 in Faridabad and 247 in Gurgaon, according to the CPCB's Sameer mobile application.
On Tuesday, it was 374 in Ghaziabad, 347 in Noida, 348 in Greater Noida, 322 in Faridabad and 313 in Gurgaon. The CPCB states that an AQI in the "very poor" category may cause respiratory illness to people on a prolonged exposure, while a "poor" AQI may lead to breathing discomfort to most people on a prolonged exposure.
The AQI for each city is based on the average value of all the air quality-monitoring stations there. Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Noida have four such stations each, while Greater Noida and Faridabad have two stations each, according to the app.
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