Haryana, Punjab Witness 'Poor' Air Quality Levels Across Several Cities Post Diwali Celebrations

In Haryana, air quality slightly improved from "very poor" to "poor" in cities like Gurugram, Jind, Ambala and Kurukshetra. Despite this improvement, AQI levels continued to surpass safe limits. On Saturday morning, Gurugram recorded an AQI of 212, Jind 285, Ambala 224 and Kurukshetra 262, a notable decrease from the previous day’s high readings, which exceeded 300 in several areas.

Several other areas in Haryana also reported "poor" AQI levels. Sonipat’s AQI remained in the "very poor" category with a reading of 324. Meanwhile, Chandigarh, the joint capital of Haryana and Punjab, registered an AQI of 289, a slight improvement from 303 on Friday.

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In Punjab, Amritsar's AQI worsened to 346, remaining in the "very poor" category. Other cities like Mandi Gobindgarh showed improvement, with AQI falling from 331 to 206, while Jalandhar, Khanna, Ludhiana and Patiala also reported "poor" air quality. The state saw a spike in agricultural fires, with 587 incidents recorded on Friday, likely contributing to the high pollution levels. 

Haryana, Punjab Air Quality  

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Meanwhile, Delhi faced severe smog, with an AQI of 296 at 7 am. Locations like Anand Vihar (380) and RK Puram (346) registered "very poor" levels, reflecting the capital's ongoing struggle with air quality post-Diwali. Air quality experts advise residents in affected areas to limit outdoor activities as pollution levels remain high.