A day after Diwali On Tuesday morning, in Delhi across more than 40 monitoring stations listed on the government website showing the National Air Quality Index, most in the national capital registered the AQI (air quality index) dropping in the “very poor” category (AQI between 301-400) which can cause “respiratory illness on prolonged exposure”.
This means that the air quality is just one step away from getting “severe” (401-500), which “affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing illnesses”.
Other major metropolitan cities status post Diwali festival summarised below :
Mumbai : In the financial capital of India, the air pollution levels were said to have shot up to dangerous levels as firecrackers went off across the city over the weekend. On Tuesday morning, while most stations – listed on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) website – were in the “moderate category” with the AQI below 200, the air quality was in the “poor category” with AQI above 200 at Malad West and Deonar stations.
Bengaluru : In the state capital of Karnataka, while at most stations, the AQI ranged between “moderate” and “satisfactory”, it stood in the “poor” category at the Silkboard monitoring station.
Kolkata : Delhi has a reason to envy the Bengal capital where the AQI across most monitoring stations was in the “good” category.
Chennai : For Tamil Nadu’s capital, a majority of stations recorded AQI in the “poor” category. However, only Kodungaiyur station was where the air quality was recorded to be in the “moderate” category.
A day after the Deepavali celebrations, the air quality in the Chennai metropolitan city was ‘poor’, according to official figures.
Also Chennai city police registered 354 cases regarding various violations, including the time limit allowed for bursting crackers.
According to the figures uploaded on the website of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) as of noon, most of the observation points in the city and its surroundings generally had ‘poor’ air quality.
PM 2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter) was the main pollutant. As a result of this many vehicles has put the headlights on in Tuesday morning
Meanwhile, the city police said it has registered 271 cases regarding violation of time-limits and 69 for bursting crackers with high decibel.
A City Police release said 14 cases were filed for selling fireworks in violation of government guidelines.
The cases were booked between October 23 and 25. The state government had earlier mandated bursting of crackers between 6-7 AM and 7-8 PM on Deepavali day, in lines with a Supreme Court direction.
