LUCKNOW, Oct. 23 -- Lucknow's air quality showed steady improvement through the week, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) easing from the post-Diwali spike to a "Moderate" level by Wednesday. Diwali was on Monday, and the city had recorded an AQI of 250 on Tuesday, its first "Poor" reading of the season, but cleaner than last year's 306 in the "Very Poor" range. Across Uttar Pradesh, skies remained grey with smog a day after Diwali, yet most of the 12 major cities with "unbreathable" air on Tuesday reported marginally better conditions than in 2024.

Experts attributed the improvement in some parts of the state, including Lucknow, to better enforcement of the firecracker ban, pre-festival rainfall, and favourable wind conditions.

Officials ...