Uttar Pradesh air quality relief: Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar slip into ‘very poor’ category; Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut see improvement

Major cities across Uttar Pradesh recorded ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ air quality on Sunday as Moradabad (323) and Muzaffarnagar (338) worsened, while Ghaziabad, Noida, and Meerut registered sharp AQI improvements, per CPCB data.

Published: November 15, 2026, 9:46 PM IST

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People take a walk amid hazy weather, in New Delhi, Thursday (PTI)

Uttar Pradesh pollution update: Major cities across Uttar Pradesh recorded ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ air quality on Sunday, even as several NCR hubs registered notable relief compared to Saturday, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) dataWhile western Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar (338), Moradabad (323) and Gajraula (319) remained in the ‘very poor’ zone, pollution levels dropped significantly across Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Meerut, Baghpat and Baraut, shifting those cities into the ‘poor’ category over the past 24 hours.

Story highlights:

• ‘Very Poor’ Air Quality Zones: In western Uttar Pradesh, Muzaffarnagar (338), Moradabad (323), and Gajraula (319) recorded ‘very poor’ air quality on Sunday, according to the CPCB bulletin.

• Worsening Pollution in Key Hubs: Moradabad’s AQI climbed from 294 on Saturday to 323 on Sunday, while Muzaffarnagar’s reading jumped from 295 to 338Gajraula saw a marginal dip from 330 to 319 but stayed in the ‘very poor’ bracket.

• Sharp Relief in NCR Cities: Ghaziabad’s AQI improved substantially from 333 on Saturday to 243 on SundayNoida dropped from 318 to 265, and Greater Noida fell from 324 to 225.

• Significant Drops Elsewhere: Meerut recorded one of the steepest improvements, with its AQI declining from 367 to 217Baraut dropped from 320 to 214, while Baghpat eased slightly from 249 to 235.

Ghaziabad recorded an AQI of 243, down from 333 the day earlierGreater Noida’s reading improved from 324 to 225, while Noida recorded 265 against 318 on SaturdayMeerut also witnessed a significant improvement, with AQI declining from 367 to 217Baghpat recorded 235 against 249 a day earlier, while Baraut’s reading dropped from 320 to 214, a report by PTI news agency said.

Among other cities, Hapur recorded an AQI of 145, compared with 341 on SaturdayModinagar registered 250 against 325, while Bulandshahr’s reading declined from 248 to 207Kanpur recorded an AQI of 202, marginally lower than 206 on SaturdayAnpara’s reading increased from 265 to 281, while Varanasi witnessed a deterioration from 150 to 216.

In the state capital, the AQI stood at 211 on Sunday, improving from 255 recorded on SaturdayThe reading placed Lucknow in the ‘poor’ category, with PM2.5 emerging as the prominent pollutantAgra recorded an AQI of 132, down from 142 the day earlierBareilly’s reading increased slightly from 98 to 103, while Gorakhpur recorded 112 against 84 on Saturday.

Prayagraj’s AQI rose from 126 to 141, while Raebareli witnessed a deterioration from 154 to 225Mathura’s reading improved from 167 to 124.

Firozabad recorded an AQI of 93 against 130 on Saturday, while Jhansi improved from 83 to 90 and Shamli from 230 to 90.

According to CPCB standards, an AQI between zero and 50 is classified as ‘good’, 51 and 100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 as ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 as ‘poor’, 301 and 400 as ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 as ‘severe’.

(With inputs from agencies)