Air quality dips further in Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon

Air quality dipped further in National Capital Region's Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurgaon on Monday, staying in the "severe" category which affects even healthy people, according to a government agency.

Concentration of major air pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 remained high in the five satellite cities of Delhi, according to the air quality index (AQI) maintained by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

According to the index, 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 Monday was482 in both Gurgaon as well as Ghaziabad followed by 478 in Greater Noida,477 in Noida and 456 in Faridabad,according to the CPCB's Sameer app.

It was 456 in Ghaziabad, 440 in Greater Noida,434 in Gurgaon, 428 in Noida and 426 in Faridabad at the same time on Sunday.

PM 2.5 and PM 10 were the prominent pollutants in these neighbouring cities of Delhi, where the average AQI remained at 477 on Monday, according to the app.

The CPCB states that an AQI in the "severe" category "affects" healthy people and "seriously impacts" those with existing diseases.

The AQI for each city is based on the average value of all stations there. Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad have four stations each, while Gurgaon has three and Greater Noida two, according to the app.

Amid deteriorating air quality, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday imposed a "total ban" on sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) from November 9 midnight to November 30 midnight, saying "celebration by crackers is for happiness and not to celebrate deaths and diseases".