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Fireworks yet to peak, Lucknow’s air already ‘poor’; experts warn of further deterioration
Lalbagh, in the city centre, recorded the worst AQI at 282, close to entering the “very poor” category. It was followed by Kendriya Vidyalaya station in Aliganj, a residential area, at 264 and the Talkatora station in the city’s industrial area at 252. Other stations at BR Ambedkar University, Gomti Nagar, and Kukrail Picnic Spot recorded AQI levels of 145, 158 and 142, respectively.
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A day before Diwali, when the use of firecrackers is comparatively lower than on the festival day, Lucknow’s air quality deteriorated to the “poor” category on Saturday after remaining moderate for two days, hinting at more polluted days on and after Diwali. The data is based on the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) 4 pm bulletin.
The last time the AQI had entered the poor category was on November 4, when it stood at 223.
Experts expect the AQI to cross the 300 mark and enter the “very poor” category on Diwali night, making the city’s air quality worse. They also said increased vehicular movement due to the Diwali rush was adding to pollution.
Of the six live monitoring stations set up by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) and CPCB, three recorded poor AQI levels, all above 250 and considerably higher than the overall city AQI of 223.
Lalbagh, in the city centre, recorded the worst AQI at 282, close to entering the “very poor” category. It was followed by Kendriya Vidyalaya station in Aliganj, a residential area, at 264 and the Talkatora station in the city’s industrial area at 252. Other stations at BR Ambedkar University, Gomti Nagar, and Kukrail Picnic Spot recorded AQI levels of 145, 158 and 142, respectively.
According to the SAMEER app, individual live monitoring stations had recorded poor AQI levels on consecutive days between October 4 and 7.
The SAMEER app is an official mobile application developed by the CPCB to provide real-time updates on India’s National Air Quality Index (AQI) and allow citizens to report pollution-related grievances.
The CPCB classifies an AQI of 0-50 as “good”, 51-100 as “satisfactory”, 101-200 as “moderate”, 201-300 as “poor”, 301-400 as “very poor” and 401-500 as “severe”.
According to JP Maurya, regional officer, UPPCB, the rise in AQI was possibly due to excessive smoke from increased vehicular movement during Diwali shopping and the burning of firecrackers.
“The AQI will continue to deteriorate in the coming days. Low temperatures will push up pollution levels as they create low-pressure conditions, keeping pollutants suspended in the air,” he added.
