GURGAON: The nitrogen dioxide level increased eight times its acceptable limit in the city on Saturday.Despite it being a weekend day, the 24-hour concentration of nitrogen dioxide not just rise but crossed the 600-mark for the first time in several months. It was reported at 673.73g/m3 on Saturday whereas it should not be more than 80g/m3.On the other hand, the 24-hour concentration of PM2.5 remained within the acceptable limit throughout the day. Air quality index (AQI) remained 150 which is in the 'unhealthy' zone.An official of Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) blamed the nitrogen dioxide increase on traffic congestion in the vicinity of the building where the air monitoring system is installed. "It is shocking that nitrogen dioxide levels went up suddenly on Saturday. As there are no polluting industries in the city, the main reason could be traffic congestion around Vikas Sadan, where the air monitoring machine is stationed. As the machine is located just 10 metres above the ground level, it sucks all gases released in the nearby area. These days we see a lot of vehicular movement around Vikas Sadan. Also vehicles are often parked here," he said.

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