After Diwali, Lucknow’s air clears slightly, still above safe limits
Experts attributed the improvement in some parts of the state, including Lucknow, to better enforcement of the firecracker ban, pre-festival rainfall, and favourable wind conditions.
Lucknow’s air quality showed steady improvement through the week, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) easing from the post-Diwali spike to a “Moderate” level by Wednesday. Diwali was on Monday, and the city had recorded an AQI of 250 on Tuesday, its first “Poor” reading of the season, but cleaner than last year’s 306 in the “Very Poor” range. Across Uttar Pradesh, skies remained grey with smog a day after Diwali, yet most of the 12 major cities with “unbreathable” air on Tuesday reported marginally better conditions than in 2024.
Experts attributed the improvement in some parts of the state, including Lucknow, to better enforcement of the firecracker ban, pre-festival rainfall, and favourable wind conditions.
Officials from the UP Pollution Control Board called the trend encouraging but fragile. “Pollution levels remain above safe limits, and winter inversion could worsen the situation,” a board official said. Experts urged sustained monitoring, stricter vehicular emission checks, and continued public cooperation to prevent AQI levels from deteriorating again.
According to experts, a “Poor” AQI between 201 and 300 can cause breathing discomfort in most people on prolonged exposure. A “Very Poor” AQI, between 301 and 400, may lead to respiratory illness on prolonged exposure, while a “Moderate” AQI can cause breathing discomfort for people with lung, asthma, or heart conditions.
As per the data, on Tuesday, 12 major cities in Uttar Pradesh reported “unbreathable” air, though most recorded lower pollution than last year. Cities such as Ghaziabad, Noida, and Hapur remained in the “Very Poor” category, while others like Meerut, Kanpur, and Muzaffarnagar fell under “Poor.”
Meanwhile, Delhi remained “Very Poor” at 351, and Haryana’s Jind recorded the country’s highest AQI at 421, classified as “Severe.”