Pollution in Delhi.
Post-Diwali, pollution levels are rising in many states of the country, including the capital Delhi. At the same time, with the onset of winter, the air around cities is cold and dense, and road dust and vehicle pollution, as well as straw burning incidents, will also cause the air quality to deteriorate at this time of year. The air quality around Diwali this year is worse than in the past two years.
PM 2.5 levels in the national capital peaked at midnight on Diwali this year, 13 per cent higher than levels recorded on the same day last year and in 2022. This has been revealed in recent reports.
Very dangerous for people with weak immune systems
Delhi’s air quality index was 316 on Saturday. Such bad air is very dangerous for people with weak immunity. Ghaziabad’s AQI was 330, Ludhiana’s AQI was 339 and Amritsar’s AQI was 368. These areas are most severely affected by straw burning. Meanwhile, Chandigarh’s AQI was 277, Jind’s AQI was 337 and Sri Ganga Nagar’s AQI was 333.
Delhi air pollution status
According to a report by the Center for Science and Environment (CSE), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels are higher on Diwali evening this year, a sign of increased traffic. Unlike previous years, PM 2.5 levels in Delhi rose rapidly on Diwali night and fell the next day, the report said.
The report said that as of midnight on October 31, PM 2.5 concentration reached a high of 603 grams per cubic meter, which was 13% higher than on Diwali night in 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, PM 2.5 levels dropped by 4% compared to last year’s Diwali, according to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) report.
PMA 2.5 are tiny particles that enter the body through breathing and are harmful to health. According to the CSE report, the PMA 2.5 level continued to rise in the five days before Diwali, rising by 46% from October 28 to October 31.
It is said that the concentration of PMA 2.5 within 12 hours (8 pm to 8 am) on Diwali night in 2024 was 34% higher than that on Diwali night in October 2022. This year’s level of PMA 2.5 is more than double the average pollution levels recorded in the first seven nights of Diwali, the report said.
It is said that this Diwali, PMA 2.5 pollution suddenly increased rapidly at night and then dropped rapidly the next day. The reason why pollution rose later and ended earlier on Diwali was due to higher wind speeds and sufficiently warm atmospheric conditions in the city, the report said.
Himachal Pradesh AQI is very poor
The air quality deteriorated in many places after Diwali due to bursting of firecrackers in Himachal Pradesh. The state’s average air quality index (AQI) this year is 140 (moderate), compared with 92 last year.
According to the pollution department, the air quality index in industrial areas of the state ranges from moderate to very poor, with Baddi being the most polluted with an air quality index of 392, which is very poor. The AQI of Parwanoo is 217, the AQI of Paonta Sahib is 145, the AQI of Barotiwala is 139, the AQI of Nalagarh is 128 and the AQI of Una is 122.
The air quality in Shimla remained satisfactory with AQI of 66 as compared to 78 last year. The district government only allows firecrackers to be set off from 8pm to 10pm. Officials said that while there were some violations, most people complied with the instructions. Meanwhile, the AQI in Dharamshala was 109 as compared to 140 last year. However, air pollution in Manali increased, with the AQI on Diwali rising from 55 in 2023 to 80 in 2024.
Many cities in Bihar suffer from poor air quality
Despite a ban on the sale and setting off of all types of firecrackers in the four cities of Bihar, Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Hajipur, the air quality in Hajipur reached extremely poor levels after Diwali. On the directives of the NGT, the state government has banned the sale or use of all types of firecrackers in Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Hajipur to prevent air pollution during Diwali.
