Himachal Enjoys Clear Skies as Post-Diwali Air Quality Improves

Shimla records best AQI at 57

While many cities across northern India continue to grapple with poor to severe air pollution in the days following Diwali, Himachal Pradesh has bucked the trend — recording a notable improvement in air quality this festive season compared to last year.

According to data from the State Pollution Control Board, the average Air Quality Index (AQI) across Himachal fell from 140 last year to 99 this Diwali, placing it in the “satisfactory” category.

Out of the 12 monitoring stations across the state, 10 recorded cleaner air than last year. Only Dharamshala and Una reported a slight increase in pollution levels — Dharamshala’s AQI rose from 109 to 120, and Una’s from 122 to 140.

Officials said the AQI across most parts of the state remained in the “good to moderate” range before Diwali and “satisfactory to moderate” on the festival day itself. None of the monitored locations crossed into the “poor” or “very poor” categories.

Shimla reported the cleanest air among all 12 stations, with an AQI of 57, an improvement from 66 last year. A week earlier, on October 13, the hill capital had an AQI as low as 19. In Manali, the AQI dropped significantly from 80 last year to 62 this Diwali.

Even the state’s industrial hubs — including Parwanoo, Kala Amb, Baddi, Barotiwala, and Nalagarh — recorded a clear decline in pollution levels compared to previous years, a trend environmentalists have welcomed.

However, officials noted that firecracker emissions were still visible in the data, with all monitoring centers showing higher AQI values on Diwali day compared to the preceding days.

Overall, Parwanoo, Dharamshala, Paonta Sahib, Baddi, and Una fell in the “moderate” category, while Shimla, Barotiwala, Damtal, Sundernagar, Kala Amb, Nalagarh, and Manali recorded “satisfactory” air quality levels — reaffirming Himachal’s status as one of the cleanest post-Diwali states in North India.