📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Navneet Sharma
Weather
Himachal Pradesh Air Quality Improves 50% in Six Years; Shimla, Manali See Low Pollution
✍️ Free Press Journal
🗓 11 Nov 2026, 10:51 AM
👁 20
Air quality in Himachal Pradesh has improved by about half over the past five to six years, with the capital Shimla and hill station Manali recording some of the lowest pollution levels in recent years.
The state’s environmental monitoring agencies report that overall air quality has risen by roughly 50% compared with measurements taken five to six years ago. Data from the latest assessments show a marked decline in particulate matter concentrations across the region.
Shimla, the summer capital, and the popular tourist destination Manali have posted some of the lowest pollution readings in recent history, according to the Free Press Journal’s coverage of the findings. Both cities recorded particulate levels well within the national safe limits.
Officials attribute the improvement to a combination of stricter vehicle emission norms, increased use of clean energy in public transport, and expanded green cover under state‑led afforestation programmes. The trend is expected to continue as the government rolls out further air‑quality initiatives.
The cleaner air is being welcomed by residents and visitors alike, who say the clearer skies are enhancing health outcomes and tourism appeal in the Himalayan state.
Shimla, the summer capital, and the popular tourist destination Manali have posted some of the lowest pollution readings in recent history, according to the Free Press Journal’s coverage of the findings. Both cities recorded particulate levels well within the national safe limits.
Officials attribute the improvement to a combination of stricter vehicle emission norms, increased use of clean energy in public transport, and expanded green cover under state‑led afforestation programmes. The trend is expected to continue as the government rolls out further air‑quality initiatives.
The cleaner air is being welcomed by residents and visitors alike, who say the clearer skies are enhancing health outcomes and tourism appeal in the Himalayan state.