Diwali 2024: Thane's air quality in 'moderate' category as officials say use of green crackers seen surge this year

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According to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), the sale and use of green crackers has seen a rise in the city during Diwali 2024.

Meanwhile, in a press release issued on Sunday by the Chief Environment Officer Manisha Pradhan, TMC stated that the city's air quality was recorded in the moderate category.

The pollution control department of TMC monitored the air quality in the city during the pre-Diwali and Diwali 2024 period. This year, with the increase in green crackers, the concentration of dust particles in the air has been found to be 165 μg / m3 (micrograms per cubic metre). It was 245 μg / m3 in 2022 and 230 μg / m3 in 2023.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 190 on the day of Diwali, down from 127 on the day before. The AQI falls in the category of moderately polluted.

Meanwhile, the noise level in the city was as high as 84 decibels. It was 71 decibels before Diwali 2024, TMC said.

The AQI and noise pollution study was done by a team comprising Pradhan, Deputy Environment Officer Vidya Sawant and Junior Chemist Nirmiti Salgaonkar.

Delhi's air quality 'very poor', smog blankets city

Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Sunday with thick fog enveloping the city in the morning, news agency PTI reported.

The national capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 369 at 9 am, a significant rise from 290 recorded on the previous day, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data revealed.

Some monitoring stations recorded 'severe' air quality with readings exceeding 400.

According to PTI, data from the CPCB's Sameer app, which provides hourly AQI updates, showed that out of 38 monitoring stations, eight: Anand Vihar, Wazirpur, Rohini, Punjabi Bagh, Nehru Marg, Mundka, Jahangirpuri and Ashok Vihar, recorded readings above 400.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is 'good,' 51 and 100 'satisfactory,' 101 and 200 'moderate,' 201 and 300 'poor,' 301 and 400 'very poor,' and 401-500 'severe.'
Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 16.5 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees below normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Several places in nearby Punjab and Haryana also saw the air quality settling in the 'very poor' and 'poor' categories on Sunday. Karnal was the worst hit with an AQI of 316.

(With PTI inputs)