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Amid AQI worries, UPPCB orders temporary shutdown of factories in Lucknow’s Talkatora
UPPCB has ordered factories in Talkatora, Lucknow, to halt operations due to poor air quality, as the area remains the most polluted in the city.
Amid rising concerns over the city’s deteriorating air quality, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has directed several factories in the Talkatora industrial area to temporarily halt operations, officials said.
The decision follows two consecutive days of ‘poor’ air quality levels in the city and persistently high pollution readings from Talkatora, which has emerged as the most polluted monitoring station in Lucknow.
According to UPPCB data, the city’s overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 204 and 203 on Thursday and Friday, which falls in the ‘poor’ category. While the reading improved slightly to 183 (‘moderate’) on Saturday, pollution officials said the relief was temporary, with industrial emissions continuing to push up particulate matter concentrations, particularly in the Talkatora belt.
Live AQI readings recorded on Saturday reflected the uneven distribution of pollution across the city. While Talkatora reported a moderate 175, stations like Lalbagh (242) and KV Aliganj (213) remained in the ‘poor’ range. Other stations reported comparatively better air: Gomti Nagar (171), BR Ambedkar University (155) and Kukrail Picnic Spot (142).
JP Maurya, UPPCB regional officer, said the board has identified a cluster of polluting units in Talkatora whose emissions have repeatedly kept the locality in the red zone. “With Talkatora regularly topping the pollution chart, we have requested 7–8 factories to temporarily shut operations so that smoke from chimneys can be controlled,” he told HT.
These units include small manufacturing setups known to use fossil-fuel-based boilers and furnaces.
UPPCB has also taken action in other high-pollution pockets. “In Lalbagh, we have urged the automobile market not to burn waste, as this is significantly adding to local pollution,” Maurya added.
Officials said the shutdown orders are part of an immediate response to stabilise pollution levels as winter conditions, marked by low wind speed and atmospheric stagnation, tend to trap pollutants closer to the surface. “The board is monitoring the situation daily and may impose stricter measures, including extended closures or penalties, if AQI trends worsen again,” a senior officer said.
