Jaipur: The smoke of Diwali did not settle evenly across Rajasthan this year, or predictably.Sriganganagar, far away from the smog and haze that hangs over the state’s industrial belts this time of year, recorded Rajasthan’s worst Air Quality Index (AQI) of 354 between Diwali night on Nov 8 and Nov 9, pushing it into the ‘very poor’ category.The reading was higher than in Bhiwadi, a major industrial hub, which recorded an AQI of 304 this year, an improvement over the 382 it registered during the same period last year.A comparison of State Pollution Control Board data for the Diwali periods of 2025 and 2026 shows that air quality worsened across 16 cities, while improving in 17 others.Jaipur’s average AQI stood at 227, marginally above the 225 recorded last year.Besides recording the state’s worst air quality, Sriganganagar also saw one of the sharpest deteriorations in AQI this Diwali compared to last year, when it had recorded 286.An expert linked the spike partly to weather.“Higher moisture levels and low wind speeds may have contributed to the accumulation of pollutants near the surface, pushing up AQI. When wind speed is low, pollutants, including carbon particles released by firecrackers, do not disperse easily and remain trapped close to the ground,” the expert said.Bhiwadi’s relatively lower AQI reading this year is also surprising, with the expert noting that the industrial town usually remains highly polluted in winter, with average AQIs often above 250.“This time, the atmosphere was relatively dry and moisture levels were lower. Had atmospheric conditions been different, the AQI could have touched 400 or even higher,” he said.Several Rajasthan cities saw sharp increases in AQI over last year.Sawai Madhopur recorded an AQI increase from 138 during Diwali last year to 257 this time, Alwar from 245 to 297, Bharatpur from 244 to 274, Jodhpur from 193 to 241, Bikaner from 217 to 249 and Hanumangarh from 273 to 278.Residents in several other cities, however, breathed easier this year.Dausa recorded the biggest air quality improvement over last year, with a fall from 223 to 119, the lowest Diwali-period AQI recorded in the state this year.Dungarpur fell from 207 to 123, Bhilwara from 235 to 153, Barmer from 160 to 124 and Rajsamand from 192 to 128.Kota also recorded slightly better post-Diwali air this year, with an AQI of 226, down from last year’s 276, while Udaipur fell from 241 to 225.Last year, Bhiwadi was Rajasthan’s most polluted city during Diwali, with an AQI of 382, followed by Sriganganagar at 286, Dholpur at 283, Kota at 276 and Hanumangarh at 273.This year, Sriganganagar topped the list at 354, followed by Bhiwadi at 304, Alwar at 297, Hanumangarh at 278 and Bharatpur at 274.Overall, 20 cities across the state recorded average AQIs above 200 between Nov 8 and Nov 9. Those registering higher readings included Pali at 254 and Bikaner at 249.GFXTop 10 Most Polluted Cities in Rajasthan (From midnight on Nov 8 to Nov 9)Rank City AQI1 Sriganganagar 3542 Bhiwadi 3043 Alwar 2974 Hanumangarh 2785 Bharatpur 2746 Sawai Madhopur 2577 Pali 2548 Bikaner 2499 Jodhpur 24110 Ajmer 22811 Jaipur 227
