A persistent blanket of unhealthy air continues to envelop parts of Haryana and Punjab, with recent reports indicating ‘poor’ and even ‘very poor’ air quality across numerous cities. Officials confirmed on Saturday (October 25, 2025) that environmental conditions remain challenging, raising significant public health and ecological concerns.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Haryana’s Fatehabad recorded an alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) of 329 as of 4 p.m. on the day of the report. This figure places it firmly within the ‘very poor’ category, indicating a substantial health risk.
Other areas in Haryana also faced severe air pollution. Bahadurgarh, Dharuhera, and Panipat all reported ‘very poor’ air quality, with AQI readings of 324, 307, and 306 respectively. Furthermore, cities such as Charkhi Dadri (292), Gurugram (234), Jind (293), Kaithal (283), Sonepat (214), Manesar (291), and Yamunanagar (226) were categorised under ‘poor’ air quality, underscoring a widespread environmental challenge across the state.
Neighboring Punjab is similarly contending with compromised air quality, though some areas showed slightly less severe readings. Bathinda’s AQI stood at 227, Ludhiana at 206, Jalandhar at 158, Khanna at 144, Amritsar at 126, Patiala at 122, and Rupnagar at 153. These figures indicate predominantly ‘poor’ to ‘moderate’ conditions for the state, posing a risk to sensitive groups.
Chandigarh, the joint capital for both states, reported an AQI of 117, falling into the ‘moderate’ category, suggesting that while better than some areas, the air quality is still not ideal.
To provide context, the AQI scale is defined as follows: 0-50 is ‘good’; 51-100 is ‘satisfactory’; 101-200 is ‘moderate’; 201-300 is ‘poor’; 301-400 is ‘very poor’; 401-450 is ‘severe’; and anything above 450 is considered ‘severe plus’. The current figures in Haryana and Punjab emphatically highlight an urgent need for proactive and effective measures to mitigate air pollution and protect public health.