Patna’s air quality improved on Tuesday as the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) fell to 199 from 280 recorded after Diwali on November 9, according to the Central Pollution Control Board bulletin. The decline brought the city to the upper end of the moderate category, but pollution remained poor in several localities, with monitoring stations recording readings above 200.
Muradpur reported the highest AQI among Patna’s six monitoring stations at 229, followed by the DRM Office in Danapur at 227. Patna City recorded an AQI of 210. All three locations remained in the poor category despite the improvement in the citywide reading.
The remaining stations reported moderate air quality. The Planetarium recorded an AQI of 182, while Samanpura and Rajbanshi Nagar recorded readings of 175 and 171, respectively. The station-wise data showed that exposure levels continued to vary significantly across the city, depending on location and local conditions.
The CPCB classifies moderate air quality as capable of causing breathing discomfort to people with lung and heart diseases and those with asthma. The continued presence of poor readings in parts of Patna means that the improvement in the overall average did not translate into uniformly cleaner air for residents across the city.
Birendra Kumar, public relations officer of the Bihar State Pollution Control Board, attributed fluctuations in Patna’s air quality largely to climatic conditions, particularly wind speed and rainfall. He said stronger winds and rain could disperse pollutants, while stagnant air allowed dust and smoke to remain suspended over the city.
Kumar also said air quality could be affected by smoke from stubble burning in Punjab and the Delhi-National Capital Region moving towards Bihar. Vehicular movement, industrial activity and population levels had remained largely constant, he said, while weather conditions could cause AQI readings to change sharply. He cited windy conditions around Diwali as an example of how atmospheric movement could improve pollution levels.
The broader readings from Bihar showed that air quality remained uneven across the state. Bettiah recorded an AQI of 217 and Hajipur 205, placing both cities in the poor category. Madhubani recorded the highest reading among the listed Bihar cities at 274. Ara recorded 216, Muzaffarpur 200 and Motihari 195, while Siwan recorded 147.
Several cities reported moderate or satisfactory air quality. Bhagalpur and Gopalganj recorded 130 each, followed by Biharsharif at 122, Chhapra at 119, Buxar at 113 and Begusarai at 110. Purnia recorded 98, Darbhanga 92, Munger 90, Gaya 77, Rajgir 76, Sitamarhi 74 and Sasaram 60, all within the satisfactory category.
The latest CPCB bulletin therefore records a short-term improvement in Patna’s overall air quality, while station-level readings continue to show poor conditions in important parts of the city. The next AQI readings will indicate whether the improvement is sustained as weather conditions change.
