In the “poor” category, many individuals may experience breathing discomfort with extended exposure.
Despite initiatives to promote green crackers and enforce time limits on firecracker usage, the city’s air quality plunged to hazardous levels during the Deepavali celebrations, as residents continued to set off fireworks throughout the day.
Real-time air quality monitoring data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) indicated that most continuous monitoring stations in the city recorded Air Quality Index (AQI) levels classified as “poor,” while a few fell into the “moderate” category during the festivities.
At 10 p.m. on Thursday, four out of seven monitoring stations reported AQI levels ranging from 231 to 277, which are categorized as “poor.” The Perungudi station recorded the highest level at 277, followed closely by the Alandur Bus Depot at 259. Meanwhile, the Manali, Royapuram, and Kodungaiyur stations recorded AQI levels between 147 and 176, placing them in the “moderate” category.