LUCKNOW, Dec. 12 -- In a sharp and sudden deterioration of air quality, Lucknow recorded an AQI of 242 on Thursday, the highest in the past one month, according to the 5 pm bulletin of the Sameer App, operated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The spike pushed the state capital deep into the 'poor' category after several days of relatively moderate air. A comparison of CPCB data for the last three months shows that Thursday's AQI was the third-highest of the season. The last instances when the city's air quality was worse were on November 5, when AQI touched 254, and October 20, the day after Diwali, when it hit 250. Officials said the upward trend indicates a concerning pattern as temperatures drop further, potentially pushing the city into the 'very poor' category if conditions persist. All six live monitoring stations reported sharp rise in pollution levels on Thursday. Kendriya Vidyalaya recorded the highest AQI at 265, followed by Talkatora District Industries Centre at 262 and Gomti Nagar at 256. BR Ambedkar University reported 241, while Lalbagh logged 231. Even the usually cleaner Kukrail Picnic Spot saw its AQI climb to 194. "Low wind speed, increased local emissions, and winter inversion layers are trapping pollutants near the surface," said JP Maurya, regional officer, UPPCB. With temperatures dropping steadily, pollutants remain suspended in the air for longer durations, he said....