Just one day after Deepavali, a staggering ten cities in Haryana found themselves among India’s 16 most polluted locations, with air quality ratings of ‘severe’ or ‘very poor’. Data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, unequivocally highlights Haryana as the state most severely affected by post-festival air pollution.
Jind, located approximately 130 km north-west of Delhi, recorded the highest Air Quality Index (AQI) value across 271 cities monitored by the CPCB. On October 21, at 4 PM, its 24-hour average AQI soared to a ‘severe’ 421. This alarming figure represents a drastic decline from an AQI of 248 observed on the afternoon of October 20, just before Deepavali night.
Dharuhera, a significant industrial hub in Rewari, was not far behind, registering an AQI of 412. The town’s air quality plunged by over 100 points from 305 on October 20, shifting its classification from ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’.
Meanwhile, Narnaul, situated in South Haryana, also experienced a ‘very poor’ air quality reading, with an AQI of 390.
Even Gurugram, Haryana’s bustling IT hub, saw its air quality sharply decline from ‘poor’ (295) to ‘very poor’ (370) within a mere 24 hours. Manesar, an automotive industry center adjacent to Gurugram, likewise reported a ‘very poor’ AQI of 320.
During the Deepavali period, Bhiwani and its neighboring district, Charkhi Dadri, also witnessed significant drops in air quality, with AQI values of 327 and 353 respectively, placing both in the ‘very poor’ category.
Further contributing to the state’s woes, Bahadurgarh, Rohtak, and Sirsa each registered ‘very poor’ air quality, with AQI values of 368, 376, and 353, respectively.