NOIDA: Air quality in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad in the first four days after Diwali has been in the very poor category this year as against poor on at least two days of the corresponding period in 2022. While the air breathed a day before the festival was the cleanest in at least seven years, with a rare rain respite, AQI in Delhi-NCRdeteriorated the morning after Diwali celebrations.On Thursday, Noida recorded an AQI of 357, while Greater Noida logged 344 and Ghaziabad 376. The quality is unlikely to improve over the next few days.Track the pollution level in your cityThe CPCBs 24-hour average AQI data showed the air quality in the three cities started to worsen from October 28. The air quality of Greater Noida slipped to severe (above 400) between November 2 and 9. Noida also saw hazardous air on November 4, 5 and 8 while Ghaziabad, which largely saw very poor AQI during the period, logged one severe air day on November 3.Following light rainfall on November 10, the AQI improved significantly in the region, from the severe to moderate category. On November 11, Noida recorded an AQI of 156, Greater Noida 130 and Ghaziabad 160. On Diwali (November 12), the air quality was 189, 165 and 186 in three cities, respectively. As the curbs on firecrackers were flouted across the cities, the after-effect of the recent rainfall wore off post-Diwali. The CPCB data showed on November 13, the AQI in the three cities had slipped back to the very poor category - Noida at 363, Greater Noida 342 and Ghaziabad 329. The air quality has only deteriorated since then.Last year, on Diwali, which was celebrated on October 24, Noida recorded an AQI of 305, Greater Noida 274 and Ghaziabad 300 - all in the periphery of the poor category. But the next day, the air quality improved marginally with Noida logging an AQI of 299, Greater Noida 272 and Ghaziabad 266, all in the poor category. On October 26, too, the air quality was in the poor category, even though the AQI worsened over the next two days to very poor.As per the CPCBs 24-hour average air quality, all four monitoring stations in Ghaziabad recorded an AQI in the higher levels of the very poor category - Indirapuram was worst at 389, followed by Vasundhara 380, Loni 377 and Sanjay Nagar 351. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), windspeed was unlikely to pick up and blow away the pollutants till Sunday.Anti-smog gun at LoniA video showing an anti-smog gun operating near the Loni monitoring station, which was doing rounds in social media on Thursday, drew flak with local residents criticising the pollution department for trying to manipulate the AQI levels instead of taking effective pollution control measures on the ground.Sachin Gupta, who claimed to be a local resident, posted the video on X and said: "This machine monitors AQI level in Loni. To ensure the air quality level is low, an anti-smog gun is placed at this station."When approached, UPPCB regional officer Vikash Mishra said it appeared an anti-smog gun of the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation was at the spot. "We have directed officials to remove the anti-smog gun from the Loni monitoring station," he said.

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