LUCKNOW: Kanpur and Lucknow were the most polluted cities in the country on Sunday. Industrial city Kanpur had the most toxic air with Air Quality Index (AQI) of 373. It was followed by Lucknow with AQI of 349, just 24 units behind Kanpur.This was the first occasion in the post-monsoon period when Lucknow was second most polluted city in the country. According to the data released by the Central Pollution Control Board, air pollution levels (AQI) jumped by 109 units in Kanpur on Sunday as compared to 264 units on Saturday. In Lucknow, AQI increased by 77 units as compared to Saturday.Meanwhile, air quality in UP cities like Ghaziabad, Noida and Baghpat, which have been breathing in ‘severe’ air since the beginning of November, improved slightly. AQI in these cities was below 340. The PM2.5 concentration in the air was six times higher than the safe limit in Lucknow and Kanpur. The air quality in these two cities has been fluctuating between ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories in the past two weeks. “Pollution levels have remained high in Lucknow and Kanpur owing to manifold increase in construction activities and vehicular load along with shortage of green belt,” said director, air quality and climate monitoring cell, Lucknow University, Prof Dhruv Sen Singh. Pollution levels also fell in cities like New Delhi, Patna and Faridabad.

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