Chandigarh, Oct 25 (IANS): Punjab has observed the Average Air Quality Index (AQI) reduction of 16.4 per cent from last year and 31.7 per cent from 2020, state Environment Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said on Tuesday.

He added that due to constant efforts of the Punjab Pollution Control Board and appeals by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, this year's air quality improved as compared to last year's on the day of Diwali.

He said that during 2021 as well as in 2020 no city remained in the moderate category of AQI whereas this year two cities -- Khanna and Mandi Gobindgarh -- remained in the moderate category of AQI.

Overall, all six cities have observed a reduction in the AQI during this year's Diwali as compared to last year's Diwali days, said the Minister, adding the average AQI of Punjab this Diwali was 224 (poor) as compared to 268 (poor) in 2021 and 328 (very poor) in 2020.

The maximum AQI was recorded in Amritsar this year with AQI category 262 (poor). However, last year the maximum value of AQI 327 (very poor) was observed in Jalandhar and in 2020 the maximum value of AQI 386 (very poor) was observed in Amritsar.

The minimum AQI for this year was recorded in Mandi Gobindgarh with AQI of 188 (moderate) against the last year value of 220 (poor) and also in 2020 with AQI value of 262 (poor).

Last year, AQI of the two cities -- Amritsar and Jalandhar -- remained in the "very poor" category, whereas in 2020 four cities -- Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala -- remained in the "very poor" category.

However, no city remained in the "very poor" category of AQI this year. The maximum AQI reduction in this year was observed in Jalandhar (31.2 per cent) and the minimum was observed in Patiala (seven per cent), said the Minister.

Punjab Pollution Control Board Chairman Adarsh Paul Vig thanked the people of state for following the advisory for bursting of firecrackers within a fixed timeframe.

The Pollution Control Board has installed continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations in six cities -- Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Khanna, Mandi Gobindgarh and Patiala -- to monitor the ambient air quality on a real-time basis.