Punjab air quality experts: Post-Diwali AQI

Punjab air quality experts have questioned claims that the state alone caused severe pollution in Delhi and Lahore. The discussion is relevant to Punjab current affairs because wind patterns, local emissions and monitoring all affect pollution readings.

Quick answer: Punjab air quality experts examined pollution claims after Diwali on 8 November 2026. On 9 November, the average Air Quality Index (AQI) was 287 across six major Punjab cities, compared with 370 in Delhi and 489 in Lahore. Experts pointed to wind direction and local pollution sources.

Key facts

The post-Diwali readings show different average pollution levels across Punjab, Delhi and Lahore.

Why is Punjab linked to the pollution debate?

Delhi and Pakistan’s Punjab government blamed sources in Indian Punjab for poor air in their cities. However, experts said Punjab alone cannot account for Delhi’s severe pollution. They also noted that pollution can travel in different directions, depending on wind speed and direction.

Pakistan’s Punjab environment minister Marriyam Aurangzeb linked Lahore’s deterioration to fireworks, easterly winds and stagnant conditions. However, professor Gufran Beig said Lahore’s experts need to analyse where the winds reaching the city originated. He considered an origin in Indian Punjab unlikely.

What did experts say about Delhi’s air?

Beig said Punjab’s contribution to Delhi’s pollution on Diwali was negligible or nearly zero. He cited easterly and south-easterly winds towards Delhi, rather than the usual north-westerly winds from Punjab. However, he said stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana significantly affects Delhi during the paddy harvest period.

Analyst Manoj Kumar also identified industries, power plants, vehicles, residential fuel combustion and construction dust as Delhi pollution sources. Therefore, seasonal farm fires do not explain the city’s year-round pollution. Beig additionally linked the Diwali increase to firecrackers and Delhi’s own sources.

Why should the AQI comparison be treated carefully?

Punjab’s lower average does not necessarily establish that its air was cleaner than Delhi’s or Lahore’s. Kumar cautioned that Punjab probably has fewer monitoring stations and that their locations matter. As a result, he called for more stations, including in Ludhiana’s Industrial Area.

The readings also represent different places: Punjab’s figure combines six major cities, while the other two are city averages. Lahore’s average of 489 should not be confused with its peak reading of 648 between 9 and 10 am. Thus, both the location and the measurement period matter.

Source: Indian Express Chandigarh, 12 November 2026

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