Ludhiana AQI at 403, Amritsar at 450 in "hazardous" category
Mandi Gobindgarh (274), Jalandhar (213) record high pollution levels
Faridabad AQI at 377, Gurugram at 281 in Haryana
Punjab recorded only 45 farm fires on Diwali night, lowest in 5 years
Punjab Air Quality and Diwali Pollution Spike
Punjab's air quality deteriorated significantly post-Diwali on October 23, 2025, despite recording the lowest farm fire count in five years. Ludhiana recorded an AQI of 403 in the "hazardous" category with PM2.5 at 264 µg/m³ and PM10 at 330 µg/m³. Amritsar AQI reached 450, marking emergency conditions with PM2.5 at 300 µg/m³ and PM10 at 350 µg/m³.
Other Punjab cities showed poor air quality: Mandi Gobindgarh (274), Jalandhar (213), Patiala (119), and Khanna (152). The sharp spike is notable since Punjab's overall AQI stood at a moderate 151 on Diwali day, then surged 53% to 231 by October 21.
Stubble Burning vs. Firecracker Impact
Punjab recorded only 484 farm fires till October 22, 2025, a 69% drop from 1,581 in 2024 and 73% drop from 1,794 in 2023. Critically, just 45 farm fires occurred on Diwali night, the lowest in five years, compared to 5,327 in 2021 and 987 in 2023.
Despite this historic 77% reduction in stubble burning due to unprecedented floods, Delhi's post-Diwali air quality plummeted, indicating local firecracker emissions were the primary pollution driver. This data contradicts the Delhi government's allegations blaming Punjab for the capital's severe pollution crisis. Punjab Pollution Control Board officials state that Punjab's AQI has never exceeded 500, questioning Delhi's claims.
Haryana Air Quality Crisis
Haryana's air quality also remained critical on October 23. Faridabad recorded an AQI of 377 in the "hazardous" category, with Ballabhgarh at 350. Gurugram AQI stood at 281 in the "poor" category, though earlier readings showed peaks of 402. Some Gurugram areas reached AQI 400 at night, prompting municipal consideration of cloud seeding.
Health Precautions
Current AQI levels in both states warrant immediate emergency precautions. Residents are strongly advised to avoid all outdoor activities unless absolutely necessary, stay indoors with windows and doors closed, use high-efficiency air purifiers, and wear certified N95 masks when stepping outside. Vulnerable population groups, including children, elderly individuals, and those with pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, should remain strictly indoors.
