Lucknow: Diwali celebrations may be over, but its impact on air quality continues to reflect in the city.
After touching ‘poor’ category with an AQI of 245 a day after the festival, the city’s air quality improved to 172 (moderate) on Tuesday, according to the data available with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). CPCB’s daily AQI record showed that Lucknow’s air quality deteriorated steadily in the run-up to the festival While the fall of 73 AQI points offered some relief. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Lucknow | Silver Rate in Lucknow | Bank Holidays in Lucknow | Public Holidays in Lucknow | Lucknow AQI | Weather in Lucknow | Petrol Price in Lucknow | Diesel Price in Lucknow | CNG Price in Lucknow | LPG Price in Lucknow Stay updated with the latest Lucknow news.
“With the city recording poor air quality even after the festival, the readings underline the need for sustained dust-control measures, stricter enforcement against polluting activities and better traffic management rather than limiting pollution-control efforts to the festive period,” said coordinator of the air monitoring station at Lucknow University, Prof Dhruv Sen Singh. Download the TOI App.
The AQI stood at 188 on Nov 5, rose to 193 on Nov 6 and crossed the 200 mark to touch 207 on Nov 7. On Diwali (Nov 8), it climbed further to 233 before peaking at 245 on Nov 9. The 12-point AQI increase after Diwali indicates that the city’s pollution burden remained high even after the night of fireworks. The city’s AQI increased by 57 points between Nov 5-9, remaining in the poor category for three consecutive days. The latest reading of 172 on Nov 10 indicates an improvement, although the city is yet to return to the satisfactory air quality range. On Nov 7, Lalbagh recorded an AQI of 282, followed by Kendriya Vidyalaya, Aliganj, at 264, and Talkatora at 252.
The deterioration was preceded by high pollution levels at several monitoring locations. Firecracker emissions added to the existing pollution burden, which also includes vehicular emissions, road dust and construction activity. Low wind speed and falling temperatures during the winter season can further slow the dispersion of pollutants, allowing particulate matter to remain suspended in the air.
These readings indicated that pollution levels were already high even before the main Diwali celebrations.