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On Sunday, the air quality in several cities of Uttar Pradesh raised concerns as Greater Noida outpaced the national capital, and six other cities within the state grappled with deteriorating air quality.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Greater Noida reported the highest Air Quality Index (AQI) of 344, ranking second only to cities like Kaithal (380), Hanumangarh (369), Sonipat (367), and Jind (354). In comparison, Delhi recorded an AQI of 325.
Six other cities in Uttar Pradesh, all situated in the western part of the state, experienced ‘poor’ AQI levels: Ghaziabad (286), Noida (281), Hapur (277), Baghpat (253), Meerut (239), and Muzaffarnagar (234).
For reference, the AQI scale categorizes air quality as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (satisfactory), 101-200 (moderate), 201-300 (poor), 301-400 (very poor), and 401-500 (severe).
The issue of poor air quality also affected the state capital, Lucknow. Over the weekend, the city’s AQI dropped significantly, with a reading of 141 on Saturday escalating to 200 on the latest measurement, just a point short of being classified as ‘poor.’
Among the six monitoring stations established by the board in the city, the one located in the Talkatora Industrial area reported the highest AQI at 376, followed by 329 at the Kendriya Vidyalaya station.
