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Bengaluru's Diwali Air Quality Plummets
9 Nov
Summary
- Bengaluru's AQI rose from satisfactory to moderate after Diwali fireworks.
- Key areas like Majestic recorded 'poor' air quality with high PM10 levels.
- Pollution levels increased significantly compared to the previous year's Diwali.
Bengaluru experienced a sharp decline in air quality this past Sunday night due to Deepavali fireworks. The city's Air Quality Index (AQI) escalated from 53 on Saturday to 129 on Monday, moving from the 'satisfactory' to the 'moderate' category. This represents a nearly 25% increase compared to the previous year's Diwali celebrations.
Specific areas registered alarming pollution levels. The KSR railway station (Majestic) recorded an AQI of 228, dominated by PM10, placing it in the 'poor' category. Other congested or high-traffic zones like Silk Board, Hombegowdanagar, Jayanagar, and Hebbal also reported AQI readings between 121 and 152.
The AQI began its ascent during the permitted cracker-bursting window, rising from 74 at 8 PM to 102 by midnight, breaching the 100-mark. Experts emphasize that even though Bengaluru's weather aids in dispersing pollutants, the fine particles from fireworks pose health risks, especially in busy traffic corridors.
Officials acknowledged that enforcement of cracker-bursting time limits was lax, with some attributing it to fears of being perceived as anti-tradition. They also noted that unlike water pollution, air pollution is a collective issue with no single identifiable source, making accountability challenging.
