📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / KaimlaCity
Weather
Haryana’s Air Quality Deteriorates as AQI Tops 300 in Six Cities Ahead of Diwali
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 05 Nov 2026, 09:02 AM
👁 16
Six Haryana cities recorded hazardous air quality with AQI exceeding 300 as Diwali approaches, prompting health warnings and calls for stricter firecracker controls.
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board reported a sharp rise in air pollution levels as Diwali draws near, with six cities across the state registering an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 300, a level classified as hazardous.
Officials attribute the surge to a combination of factors, including increased firecracker sales, higher vehicular traffic, and the continuation of crop‑residue burning in neighboring regions, all of which compound the seasonal smog.
Health authorities have issued advisories urging residents to limit outdoor activities, wear masks, and keep windows closed, especially vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.
The board said it is reviewing stricter enforcement of firecracker bans and exploring additional measures to curb emissions ahead of the festival, while monitoring stations will continue real‑time reporting throughout the holiday period.
Officials attribute the surge to a combination of factors, including increased firecracker sales, higher vehicular traffic, and the continuation of crop‑residue burning in neighboring regions, all of which compound the seasonal smog.
Health authorities have issued advisories urging residents to limit outdoor activities, wear masks, and keep windows closed, especially vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.
The board said it is reviewing stricter enforcement of firecracker bans and exploring additional measures to curb emissions ahead of the festival, while monitoring stations will continue real‑time reporting throughout the holiday period.