'Pollution Will Go Anyway': Yogi Adityanath Defends Diwali Firecrackers, Takes Swipe At Critics Amid AQI Concerns

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday dismissed concerns over rising pollution after Diwali, saying that the increase in pollution levels would eventually subside. Defending the use of firecrackers during the festival, he questioned why people raised concerns over one day of celebrations but remained silent about those who had allegedly polluted the entire system through corruption.

Speaking at a government programme in Lucknow, the CM said people had celebrated Diwali with great enthusiasm, and there was no reason to be worried about the temporary rise in pollution. He also referred to his participation in the fireworks celebrations in Ayodhya and reiterated that the government had not imposed restrictions on bursting firecrackers.

#WATCH उत्तर प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री योगी आदित्यनाथ ने कहा, "आप लोगों ने दीपावली मनाई और बहुत से लोग कह रहे हैं इससे प्रदूषण हो गया। हमने कहा प्रदूषण हो गया तो समाप्त भी हो जाएगा। काहे चिंता कर रहे हो। जिन लोगों ने अपने भ्रष्ट कारनामों से पूरे सिस्टम को प्रदूषित किया उनको कोई नहीं बोलता। अगर जनता एक दिन आतिशबाजी और पटाखा कर ले तो प्रदूषण हो गया। ये समाप्त हो जाएगा ये समस्या नहीं है। अच्छा किया लोगों ने धूम धड़ाके के साथ दीपावली मनाई। खूब आतिशबाजी की। हम लोगों ने कहा कोई प्रतिबंध नहीं लगाएंगे। मैं भी अयोध्या में आतिशबाजी में था...पर्व और त्योहार में जब कोई खुशी मनाता है तो लोगों को प्रदूषण याद आने लगता है...

— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) November 11, 2026

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CM Yogi’s Remarks On Diwali Pollution

"You all celebrated Diwali, and many people are saying it caused pollution. We said that if it caused pollution, it would also go. Why are you worried? No one says anything about the people who have polluted the entire system with their corrupt deeds. If people set off fireworks and firecrackers for one day, it causes pollution. It will go away; this is not a problem," the Chief Minister said.

He further defended the public's decision to celebrate Diwali with fireworks, saying, "People did well to celebrate Diwali with a bang. They set off plenty of fireworks. We said we would not impose any restrictions. I too was setting off fireworks in Ayodhya."

Taking another swipe at those questioning the celebrations, CM Yogi added, "When people celebrate a festival or occasion, people start talking about pollution."

UP Pollution: AQI Rises After Diwali, Lucknow Records Improvement

Chief Minister's comments came in the wake of concern raised over worsening air quality in some regions of UP in the aftermath of Diwali.

As per CPCB data, the AQI of Lucknow was 207 on November 7, which went up to 233 on November 8 and 245 on November 9. The AQI has come down to 172 on Tuesday owing to wind conditions blowing away the pollutants.

Other cities that have also seen high pollution levels are: Ghaziabad with an AQI of 344 on Diwali, which was in the 'very poor' category and Noida with an AQI of 318. Greater Noida, with 299 and Meerut, with 295, were also in the 'poor' category.

The AQI for Ghaziabad the next day was 324; for Noida, it was 332; for Greater Noida, it was 252, and for Meerut, it was 269.

According to the CPCB classification, an air quality index of 201-300 is 'poor', and 301-400 is 'very poor'. Breathing in unhealthy air for a long time can cause respiratory diseases even for healthy individuals.

Yogi Adityanath Compares Present Festival Celebrations With Pre-2017 Period

During his address, the CM also spoke about the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, contrasting the present festival celebrations with the period before 2017.

He claimed that festivals such as Holi, Diwali, Vijayadashami, Janmashtami, Shivratri, Christmas, Eid, Guru Parv and Makar Sankranti were frequently accompanied by communal tensions and riots under previous governments.

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"Before 2017, whenever any festival approached, be it Holi, Diwali, Vijayadashami, Janmashtami, Shivratri, Christmas, Eid, Guru Parv or Makar Sankranti, riots would begin. Every person felt insecure," he said.

The Chief Minister further claimed that Uttar Pradesh had not witnessed any curfew or riots in the past nine-and-a-half years. He said curfews under previous governments had affected traders, forcing markets to shut and leaving shopkeepers with unsold goods.