LUCKNOW, Nov. 27 -- Lucknow's picnic spot, Kukrail, was the only location with air clean enough to breathe, even as pollution levels remained elevated across the city on Thursday.

Known for its dense greenery and lower traffic load, the zone recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 85, falling in the 'Good' category, the only station in the city to do so.

In stark contrast, all five other monitoring stations in the city reported deteriorated or poor air quality. Lalbagh remained the most polluted spot in Lucknow, registering an AQI of 280, firmly in the 'poor' category. It was followed by Talkatora at 244, BR Ambedkar University at 173, Kendriya Vidyalaya at 188, and Gomti Nagar at 132, all reflecting air that is far from clean.

Despite ...