LUCKNOW: The poor air quality in the city prevailing for the past around two months is likely to remain unchanged for another two months.It was on October 12 when Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed Air Quality Index (AQI) of Lucknow to be 141 - moderate air quality. However, since October 13, the AQI has been above 300 - very poor category - for 47 days and between 200-300 - poor category - for 11 days. On Sunday, city's AQI was 343.Experts said that emission of pollutants is high in Lucknow because of high vehicular density, rapid constriction work and bad roads. The concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere increases when temperatures and wind velocity are low and humidity levels are high. This kind of weather conditions are being witnessed since past 58 days and are likely to continue for at least next two months. "There will be no relief from bad air for next two months as the weather factor will further deteriorate the air quality. In coming days the city will be experiencing low temperatures and low wind velocity making the dispersion of the particulate matter difficult," said Lucknow University air quality monitoring station director Prof Dhruv Sen Singh.According to environmentalist Prof Venkatesh Dutta, the next two month period will be of bad to worse air for the city, as both anthropogenic factors and weather situation will trigger pollution levels."After the post-monsoon season the wind from the plains blow towards the Himalayas carrying particulate matter and is reflected back to the plains, as the temperatures are low in the Indo Gangetic plans, it stagnates spiking the pollution levels, the same situation continues till the temperatures are low," said Prof Venkatesh Dutta. As per the live air monitoring conducted at five locations - Lalbagh, Aliganj, Talkatora, Nishatganj and Lucknow University - the most polluted area was Lalbagh with PM2.5 concentration recorded 292.6 micrograms per unit of air. It was followed by Aliganj, Talkatora and Lucknow University with PM 2.5 concentration recorded 252 and 210 micrograms respectively. Nishatganj was the least polluted with PM2.5 concentration recorded at 123.7 micrograms per unit of air. The concentrations levels of PM2.5 continued to be six times higher than the safe limits.

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