GURGAON: The layer of smog shrouding the city thickened on Friday, with visibility dropping to 200 metres in several areas early in the morning. With the wind speed below 2kmph, the citys overall air quality index (AQI) deteriorated from 294 (poor) on Thursday to the higher end of the very poor category for the first time this season at 367 on Friday. Unlike the city, the AQI of neighbouring areas like Faridabad (460), Delhi (468), Noida (440) and Ghaziabad (410) was severe. "Smog has engulfed the city and affected visibility, but the AQI is in the very poor category, which seems to be really strange as it is severe in nearby districts. There seems to be a disconnect in the stations data and on the ground," Sachin Panwar, an independent expert on air, said. Track the pollution level in your cityThe AQI was severe-plus at Gwalpahari station - just 5km away from the protected Aravalis - at 468 on Friday, while the other three stations - Vikas Sadan (337), Teri Gram (354) and Sector 51 (309) - recorded very poor air. A spike in pollution levels is likely in the next two weeks due to a rise in farm fires and unfavourable weather conditions.On Saturday (October 28), Gwalpaharis AQI was 205, which rose to 297 on Sunday. It dipped to 234 on Monday, spiked to 330 on Tuesday and wasnt recorded on Wednesday. On Thursday, the AQI spiked to 360, and 468 on Friday.Vikas Sadans AQI was 258 on Saturday, which dropped to 169 on Sunday. It picked up on Monday (208) and was 203 on Tuesday. The AQI was 213 on Wednesday, which rose to 301 on Thursday and 337 on Friday. At Teri Gram station, the AQI was at 212 on Saturday, which rose to 238 on Sunday. It was the same on Monday and dropped to 198 on Tuesday. Wednesdays AQI was 211, which increased to 282 on Thursday and 354 on Friday. The Sector 51 station recorded an AQI of 301 on Saturday, which dropped to 188 on Sunday and remained the same the next day No data was available for this station on Tuesday, and an AQI of 254 was recorded on Wednesday, which dropped to 244 on Thursday and again rose to 309 on Friday. Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) officials, meanwhile, said the citys air hasnt deteriorated as much because it doesnt have any red category industries (those with high emission levels). "I have not come across any issues with the Gurgaon air monitoring stations so far. I believe the AQI is better here because of the change in wind direction this year and a slight reduction emissions from local sources than other NCR cities," HSPCB chairman P Raghavendra Rao told TOI.Satellites detected 1,551 farm fires in Punjab, 28 in Haryana and 36 in Uttar Pradesh on Friday. Meanwhile in Delhi, shallow fog was observed at 7am with visibility of 600m at Safdarjung and 500m at Palam. Visibility remained low during the day with Safdarjung and Palam recording 1,000 and 1,500 metres, respectively, around 3pm and IMDs website describing it as "smoke".

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