Warm Weather Helps Chandigarh Enjoy Cleaner Diwali Air

According to data from the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC), the city's air quality on Diwali night this year was significantly better than in previous years. While the air quality index (AQI) slipped into the 'very poor' category at half of Chandigarh's monitoring stations, it improved rapidly within hours.

Experts say the primary reason for this improvement was the relatively warm weather, which helped disperse the pollutants quickly. As per the CPCC data, the AQI crossed 300 at three stations during the peak celebrations, but by 6 pm the next day, two of the three stations had AQI levels in the moderate category, and the third station recorded an AQI of 95, also considered moderate.

The UT director of environment and member secretary of CPCC, Saurabh Kumar, explained that the earlier timing of Diwali this year, coupled with the warmer temperatures, played a role in preventing temperature inversion, a phenomenon that can trap pollutants near the surface. Additionally, the windy and sunny conditions on the day after Diwali helped scatter the pollutants further.

Interestingly, four of the six monitoring stations saw a drop in AQI levels, indicating cleaner air compared to previous years. Sector 22 recorded the highest drop, with the lowest AQI since 2022.