Chennai’s air quality plummets due to Deepavali fireworks

Air quality in Chennai plummeted during the Deepavali celebrations as bursting fireworks led to dangerously high pollution levels. Most areas of the city experienced ‘poor’ air quality on Thursday (October 31, 2024) due to the continuous bursting of firecrackers.

Air quality in Chennai plummeted during the Deepavali celebrations as bursting fireworks led to dangerously high pollution levels. Most areas of the city experienced ‘poor’ air quality on Thursday (October 31, 2024) due to the continuous bursting of firecrackers.

The festivities kicked off on Wednesday (October 30,2024), when low wind speeds worsened the situation, resulting in a thick layer of smog enveloping the city by night. On Deepavali on Thursday (October 31, 2024), all air quality monitoring stations reported consistently poor air quality throughout the day.

Despite guidelines by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) permitting only a one-hour window for fireworks each in the morning and evening, many residents continued to set off firecrackers beyond this time, contributing to the thick smog on Thursday night.

Chennai is monitored by eight Continuous Ambient Air Monitoring Stations — five managed by the TNPCB and three by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Among these, the stations near Alandur Bus Depot and Perungudi reported the highest AQI levels, exceeding 250 and indicating a severe concentration of PM2.5 particles in the air.

By around 10 p.m. on Deepavali, AQI levels approached their peak, with Perungudi reaching 277, followed closely by Alandur Bus Depot at 259. Other stations reported significant levels as well, including Velachery residential area at 250, Arumbakkam at 231, Manali at 176, Royapuram at 154, and Kodungaiyur at 147.

The AQI scale classifies air quality into several categories: levels between 51 and 100 are deemed satisfactory, 101 to 200 moderate, 201 to 300 poor, 301 to 400 very poor, and anything above 401 severe.

As per the CPCB, exposure to poor air quality can lead to acute reactions, including eye, nose, and throat irritation, coughing, chest pain, and headaches. Vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly, are particularly at risk.