Air quality drops to 'poor' category in Lucknow on Friday with an AQI of 256

Despite the isolated drizzle on Friday morning, Lucknow's reported an average AQI of 256, across the 6 monitoring stations here, pushing the city's air health in the 'poor' category. While Lucknow has been witnessing a rise in air pollution in the last 17 days, the air current air degradation can also be pinned on the dipping mercury. Health officials, in this regard, have advised people to keep a check on the continuously changing AQI, as the falling temperature is likely to downgrade it further to 'severe' or 'very poor' categories.

Need for anti-pollution systems in Lucknow

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Lucknow's dropping AQI poses a host of health risks to the people, amidst the backdrop of the pandemic and various flu, raising health alarms across. This condition is expected to worsen with the rise of winter chills, accompanied by mist and fog, highlighted officials, pressing the need to adopt anti-pollution measures to prevent smog and its impact on AQI in the coming months.

For this, all possible means to check and stop stubble burning, factory emissions and traffic jams are under the district purview. Heavy plantation by roadsides, vacant spaces and even dividers have been further suggested to ensure pollution control.

2021 records relatively improved air quality

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According to a municipal review, Lucknow's Air Quality Index has improved relatively in 2021. This AQI study compares the air quality stats logged between October 12 to November 12, 2020 and during the same dates this year, and the results here reveal a marginal respite.

AQI this year has been restricted in the moderate or poor category, where last year it was locked between poor to hazardous levels. The overall improvement can be attributed to the proactive use of LMC deployed smog guns, tractor-mounted sprinklers nad mechanical sweeping machines to remove pollutants from the air, read reports. Additionally, thorough awareness drives and systematic anti-pollution campaigns have helped tremendously.