Pune air turns poor on Lakshmi Puja night, city average AQI hits 265 after fireworks

Pune's air quality was satisfactory for the first three days of Diwali, but conditions changed on the night of Lakshmi Puja after fireworks. At around 9 pm, the city's average Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 265.

Shivajinagar recorded the highest AQI of 314. The lowest, 219, was at the Savitribai Phule Pune University campus.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) SAMEER mobile app, Pune's AQI ranged between 130 and 157 from November 5 to 7, so the air was in the satisfactory category. On November 8, the day of Lakshmi Puja, pollution began rising after evening. At 9 pm the city's AQI was 265. The data make it clear that fireworks in trading markets, bazaars and crowded areas affected air quality.

Pollution levels rise when fine particles such as PM 2.5 and PM 10 increase in the air. Smoke, ash and fine particles produced by bursting firecrackers mix into the air. The ultrafine particles of PM 2.5 in particular can travel through the airways to the lungs. Young children, the elderly and people with respiratory illnesses are therefore at risk of breathing difficulty.

There was no rain during Diwali this time, so conditions were not favourable for the pollutant particles accumulated in the air to be washed away. On top of that, firecrackers were burst on a large scale on Lakshmi Puja night, which raised pollution further. Fireworks appeared somewhat fewer than last year, but they still affected air quality.

Area-wise, the AQI was: Dhankawadi 287, Hadapsar 267, Katraj Dairy 251, MHADA Colony 296, Panchawati and Pashan 267, Shivajinagar 314 and Savitribai Phule Pune University 219.

Date-wise during Diwali, the AQI was 130 on November 5, 134 on November 6, 157 on November 7 and 265 on November 8.

The AQI categories are: 0 to 100 good, 100 to 200 satisfactory (moderate), 200 to 300 poor, 300 to 400 very poor and 400 to 500 severe.