Authorities warn against misleading data from private apps regarding Lucknow's AQI

Lucknow AQI

After the fourth T20I between India and South Africa was called off on Wednesday owing to poor visibility after a dense layer of smog engulfed the Ekana Stadium, the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday said that Lucknow's air quality index (AQI) stood at 174, indicating a moderate level of air quality.

It also cautioned the public against relying on misleading figures circulated on social media and other platforms based on private air quality applications.

In an official statement issued after the match was called off, the state government said confusion was being spread due to the use of hyper-local and non-standardised data by several private apps, many of which follow foreign benchmarks such as the US Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) norms.

In India, air quality assessment is carried out under the National Air Quality Index (NAQI) system, which has different parameters and thresholds.

They said official monitoring stations in Lucknow, including Lalbagh, Talkatora and Aliganj, use certified and calibrated instruments, while many private agencies depend on satellite-based inputs or uncalibrated sensors, which are prone to higher margins of error.

Officials said the AQI data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is based on a scientific assessment of the 24-hour average, providing a realistic and comprehensive picture of the city's air quality.

In contrast, several private apps display momentary and highly localised spikes caused by dust, traffic congestion or limited activities at specific locations, which do not reflect the overall situation of the city.

Experts said differences in monitoring technology and standards often make data shown on private apps misleading.

While the CPCB model is designed according to Indian geographical, climatic and environmental conditions, many private platforms rely on foreign models that are not fully suited to Indian conditions, the statement said.

The match, scheduled to start at 7 pm, was eventually called off at 9:30 pm after the sixth inspection although it was more of a formality with everyone present well aware that visibility was only going to get worse as the night progressed.