States » NorthPosted at: Nov 11 2026 10:45PM


Haryana's Sirsa tops national pollution chart at AQI 369; Delhi, Punjab, UP and Rajasthan report poor air quality

Panchkula, Nov 11 (UNI) Haryana's Sirsa emerged as India's most polluted city on Wednesday, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 369, as deteriorating air quality affected large parts of Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The CPCB's 4 p.m. bulletin, based on the preceding 24-hour average, placed five Haryana locations at the top of the national pollution chart, with Sirsa followed by Hisar (361), Panchgaon (339), Ballabgarh (328) and Bhiwani (326). All five recorded air quality in the "very poor" category.
Gopalganj in Bihar ranked next at 319, followed by Delhi at 313.
The bulletin contained 284 city-level AQI entries, with Haryana recording seven locations in the "very poor" category, including Charkhi Dadri (305) and Gurugram (301).
Several other Haryana cities remained in the "poor" category, including Karnal (299), Bahadurgarh (296), Manesar (293), Faridabad (285), Rohtak (248), Ambala (243), Dharuhera (232), Jind and Narnaul (231 each), Kurukshetra (230), Yamunanagar (222) and Kaithal (220).
However, air quality varied considerably across the state. Sonipat recorded a moderate AQI of 181, Palwal 170, while Panchkula reported a satisfactory reading of 77.
In Delhi, the AQI stood at 313, with data available from 58 of the capital's 59 monitoring stations. PM2.5 and PM10 were identified as the prominent pollutants.
Uttar Pradesh reported widespread pollution, particularly in areas adjoining the national capital.
Khurja recorded an AQI of 299, followed by Ghaziabad (297), Noida (291), Gajraula (289), Khora (287), Baghpat (285), Shamli (276), Bulandshahr (273), Anpara and Baraut (271 each) and Meerut (270).
Greater Noida recorded 257, while Lucknow reported a moderate AQI of 147, Kanpur 190 and Agra 175.
In Punjab, Jalandhar recorded the highest AQI in the state at 251, placing it in the "poor" category. Khanna recorded 214 and Ludhiana 209.
Amritsar reported a moderate AQI of 192, followed by Patiala (162) and Mandi Gobindgarh (143). Rupnagar recorded an AQI of 45, classified as "good".
Bathinda was among the cities excluded from Wednesday's bulletin because of insufficient monitoring data.
Rajasthan also witnessed poor air quality, with Bhiwadi recording the state's highest AQI of 282, followed by Bikaner (263), Tonk (258), Bharatpur (248) and Jhunjhunu (246).
Khairthal recorded 227, Sri Ganganagar 216, Alwar 211 and Jaipur 209. Jodhpur reported a moderate AQI of 145, Ajmer 139 and Udaipur 148.
The bulletin identified PM2.5 as the prominent pollutant across most affected locations, although PM10 was prominent in several cities, including Hisar in Haryana and Bikaner in Rajasthan.
Under CPCB standards, an AQI between 201 and 300 is classified as "poor", while readings between 301 and 400 fall in the "very poor" category.
The CPCB warned that prolonged exposure to "very poor" air quality could cause "respiratory illness on prolonged exposure", while poor air quality could cause breathing discomfort to most people after prolonged exposure.
None of the reported locations in Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan entered the "severe" category, which begins at an AQI of 401.
The bulletin also cautioned that city-level AQI readings are calculated using available monitoring stations and that pollution levels may vary substantially within individual cities.
UNI KK NST
Tags: #Haryana's Sirsa tops national pollution chart at AQI 369; Delhi# Punjab# UP and Rajasthan report poor air quality
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