LUCKNOW, Nov. 17 -- Broken roads, prolonged construction work and slow-paced repair activities across the state capital are emerging as key contributors to the rising air pollution. Despite repeated claims by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) of issuing advisories to construction sites, ensuring debris cover and carrying out routine water sprinkling, the ground situation remains unchanged in several prominent areas. The worsening road condition continues to generate dust clouds, directly impacting the city's air quality index (AQI), which has remained in the 'poor' range of late. On Sunday, the AQI of the city was reported in the poor category with a level of 227. On Saturday, it was 182. HT visited various stretches, including Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar Extension, Talkatora, Khargapur, Aliganj. Mansarovar Yojana and Transport Nagar areas besides several VIP and posh localities where deep potholes, crater-like formations and stretches were found left dug up for months. Commuters said these damaged roads not only slow down movement but also increase dust emission as vehicles continuously crush loose debris and uneven surfaces. The LMC has initiated repair work in phases, but its pace remains slow across most zones. Officials said overlapping construction projects, pending tenders and workload on engineering teams are delaying the work. However, residents claim that prolonged delays have made several roads almost non-motorable, forcing traffic to move at crawling speed and dispersing dust into the air throughout the day. Meanwhile, LMC environmental engineer Sanjeev Pradhan said water sprinkling is not sufficient to improve the AQI as its role is limited to only around 20%. The main role is of the broken roads and the under construction buildings. However, Pradhan claimed that the LMC had begun its drive of issuing notice to the violators and imposing fines. In Vibhuti Khand, especially on the route leading to Shaheed Path, a significant stretch has developed deep, crater-like potholes that make daily commuting a challenge. Residents in Gomti Nagar Extension and Talkatora echoed similar concerns, saying incomplete construction work, unlevelled patches and unattended debris are major contributors to dust pollution. Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, a retired CDRI scientist, said deteriorating road infrastructure plays a far bigger role in AQI spike than often acknowledged...