Sept Air Quality Index best in past 3 years

September turned out to be the cleanest in the past three years for Ludhiana district, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recording its best levels, thanks largely to frequent spells of rain.

The average AQI in September 2025 stood at 60, compared to 81 in 2024 and 82 in 2023. Officials said the rainfall throughout the month helped keep pollution levels in check.

We cannot compare a single day’s AQI with the previous year. A better picture emerges when we look at the month as a whole. Since September witnessed good rainfall, the AQI levels were naturally lower.

RK Ratra, Chief Engineer

Significantly, no case of stubble burning was reported from Ludhiana district this season, even as 95 incidents of crop residue burning were recorded in other parts of Punjab. However, the AQI levels have begun to rise with the changing weather. On October 2, the AQI touched 102, while till 4 pm today, it was recorded at 96.

Experts cautioned that the AQI variations cannot be attributed to stubble burning alone. Chief Engineer RK Ratra told The Tribune that weather conditions, moisture levels, rainfall, cracker bursting during festivals, and stubble burning all contribute to the air quality.

“We cannot compare a single day’s AQI with the previous year. A better picture emerges when we look at the month as a whole. Since September witnessed good rainfall, the AQI levels were naturally lower,” he explained.

Amritpal Singh Chahal, Nodal Officer for stubble burning at the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) in Ludhiana, confirmed that while several cases of crop residue burning were reported from other districts, none surfaced in Ludhiana district.

Environmental experts, however, stressed that stubble burning elsewhere could still affect Ludhiana district, depending on wind direction. “Festival celebrations like Dussehra and Diwali, along with industrial emissions, will push the AQI levels up in the coming weeks,” one expert pointed out.