PATNA, Nov. 10 -- Air quality in Patna remained poor in the aftermath of Diwali, with the city's air quality index (AQI) recorded at 280 on Monday. Officials said this indicates continued pollution pressure despite a decline from the post-Diwali levels of previous years. Hajipur was among the country's 20 most polluted cities, ranking 16th. Its AQI of 335, the highest in the state, followed by Bettiah at 304 (ranking 27th nationally), was in the "very poor" category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, shared by the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) at 9.20pm on Monday evening. Patna's AQI was the fifth highest among the 30 Bihar cities monitored in the post-Diwali assessment. Ara recorded an AQI of 290, while Muzaffarpur stood at 286 and Siwan at 256. The prominent pollutant in Patna and most of these cities was PM2.5, fine particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs. The state-wide average AQI stood at 188, compared to 117 in 2025, marking a significant deterioration in air quality. It was also higher than the post-Diwali averages of 208 in 2024 and 276 in 2023. The CPCB portal recorded Patna's AQI of 264 at 11pm on Sunday, placing the city in the 'poor' category during the peak of Diwali celebrations on Sunday evening. Among Patna's six air quality monitoring stations, Rajbanshi Nagar recorded the highest AQI of 264 at 11pm on Sunday. This was followed by the Indira Gandhi Science Centre (IGSC) planetarium near Income Tax roundabout (254), the Divisional Railway Manager's (DRM) office in Danapur (244), Muradpur (233) and Samanpura (199), according to the CPCB portal. Among other Bihar cities, Bhagalpur recorded an AQI of 191 on Monday, Motihari and Biharsharif 190 each, while Gayaji stood at 161. Sasaram was the only city in the satisfactory category, with an AQI of 87. The deterioration comes against the backdrop of unfavourable meteorological conditions over the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Forecasts by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, indicate that elevated PM2.5 concentrations are likely to persist over Bihar between November 8 and 10, under light north-westerly to westerly winds. The weak winds are likely to limit the dispersion of pollutants, allowing particulate matter to remain trapped close to the ground. This could prolong the spell of poor air quality in Patna and other parts of the state, BSPCB said. Hospitals in Patna reported fewer firecracker-related injuries this Diwali compared to previous years. Doctors, however, flagged cases of serious eye injuries caused by exploding fireworks. Major hospitals reported firecracker-related injuries, including burn cases and trauma and emergency cases. Doctors attributed the reduction in injuries partly to a decline in carbide gun-related incidents....