Diwali Celebrations: Despite ban, air quality worsens in Chandigarh

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 5

Despite a ban on the bursting of crackers, the air quality index (AQI) level rose to 465 (severe category), the highest since 2019, when the hourly monitoring was started at Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS), Sector 25.

• Also read: Panchkula air quality turns poor on Diwali night
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• Chandigarh police arrest 13 for bursting, selling crackers
• 15 suffer minor burns in Mohali district
• No major fire incident reported in Chandigarh on Diwali

As per the National Air Quality Index, the severe category air affects healthy people and seriously impacts those suffering from diseases.

At the Sector 25 station, the AQI level remained 465 (severe category) between 10 am and 11 pm, while it was 409, the highest AQI level between 9 pm and 10 pm, at the Sector 22 station.

In 2020 and 2019, hourly AQI level had remained lower on Diwali. However, 24-hour AQI average was lesser compared to the past two years. This year, overall AQI average was 115 at the Sector 25 station and 167 at the Sector 22 station. Last year, the stations recorded overall AQI of 140 (moderate category). In 2019, it was 341 (very poor).

Unlike the previous years when the air quality used to be bad for two-three days around Diwali, the quality improved gradually in a few hours this year. After 2 am, the AQI level returned to the satisfactory category at both stations where hourly monitoring is done.

Debendra Dalai, Member Secretary, Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC), said the crackers were banned, still the sound of crackers being exploded was heard in the city.

According to the Chandigarh Administration, monitoring was carried out on October 29 (normal day) and on November 4 (Diwali day) at five locations.

The air quality trend during the normal day was satisfactory (AQI levels below 100) at all stations and even on the day of Diwali, it was observed to be satisfactory up to 6 pm. However, after 6 pm, the air quality worsened.

It was observed that at each station, the AQI and noise levels rose on Diwali day in comparison to normal day.

Of the five stations, AQI (24 hourly) was in the moderate category at three stations (Sector 22, 17 and 25) and in the poor category at two stations (Sector 39 and 12).

“It is a matter of relief that because of weather conditions, the AQI improved to the satisfactory level after 2 am,” said an official.

Though the UT Administration had imposed a ban on the sale and bursting of crackers, the crackers were exploded openly in the city. People bought crackers from Panchkula or Mohali where there was a fixed time to burst crackers.

“In view of the Covid-19 pandemic and to avoid inconvenience to Covid-affected persons as well those with respiratory issues, we had banned the sale/bursting of firecrackers in Chandigarh. A campaign was launched through newspapers and schools to create awareness amongst the general public regarding the ill-effects of bursting firecrackers,” said an Administration’s note today.

“However, the citizens should also cooperate with such decisions of the Administration for both short-term as well as long-term benefit of good air quality,” it added.

Every year, monitoring is conducted by CPCC during Diwali to know the impact of Diwali on air and noise quality. Monitoring is conducted on normal day, i.e. approx one week before Diwali day, and on Diwali day.

Noise level

Noise levels were also higher than the last year on Diwali in the city. These increased on Diwali day in comparison to a normal day. The highest noise level was recorded in Sector 39 which was 78.2 dB(A) and the lowest in Sector 17, which was 58.4 dB(A).

The maximum noise level recorded during Diwali in 2020 was 66.6 dB(A) against the maximum level of 79.8 dB(A) recorded on Diwali in 2019.