Hyderabad: Diwali fireworks push AQI into risky zones
The morning air in Hyderabad on Friday carried more than a whiff of Diwali’s lingering celebrations; it held a dense shroud of pollution as the city’s air quality deteriorated significantly following the grand festivities
Hyderabad: The morning air in Hyderabad on Friday carried more than a whiff of Diwali’s lingering celebrations; it held a dense shroud of pollution as the city’s air quality deteriorated significantly following the grand festivities. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board, the Air Quality Index (AQI) has seen a sharp rise.
As of 8 a.m. on Friday, key areas registered AQI levels deep within the ‘moderate’ and ‘poor’ categories, with a few nearing the dangerous ‘very poor’ threshold.
Bollaram recorded a troubling AQI of 162, and ECIL Kapra soared to 188, the highest in the city, categorized as “moderate” and creeping close to “poor.”
Kompally followed with an AQI of 184, while Sanathnagar and Zoo Park were not far behind at 159 and 153 respectively. Other areas like Ramachandrapuram (148), Kokapet (148), Nacharam (122), and New Malakpet (114) painted a grim outlook for sensitive populations.
Meanwhile, the night of Thursday witnessed an alarming uptick in pollution levels, as evidenced by evening AQI readings across various localities.
By 10 p.m., Zoo Park AQI had climbed to 153, Sanathnagar saw a level of 95 earlier in the evening but experienced fluctuations, and Patancheru dropped from 114 to a slightly lower 98 as the night progressed.
Zoo Park experienced an AQI jump from 148 at 1 p.m. to 153 by 10 p.m. ECIL Kapra, starting from 117 in the afternoon, peaked at an alarming 164 by nightfall.
In Pashamylaram, the situation shifted from an afternoon AQI of 116 to a late evening level of 105. Kompally showed a dramatic increase, recording 81 at 1 p.m., then peaking at 129 by 10 p.m. Areas like Nacharam and Kokapet mirrored these trends.
The city’s post-Diwali pollution levels, while concerning, show a relatively moderate impact compared to some of India’s most polluted urban centers.
On Thursday, Hyderabad recorded an average AQI of 99, categorized as “satisfactory,” according to the Central Pollution Control Board. However, the situation was far more dire in cities like Delhi, which faced an AQI of 328, putting it firmly in the “very poor” category.
Similarly, Gurugram’s AQI reached 296, while Chennai struggled with a “poor” reading of 213. Bengaluru, on the other hand, managed a moderate AQI of 109.
