Cities choke post-Diwali, but not that 'severely'

LESS TOXIC AIR

- NITIN KUMAR

The CBCB data is based on the average of the past 24 hours. An AQI of 50 or below is considered "good", while "satisfactory" falls between 51 and 100. A "moderately polluted" reading ranges from 101-200, "poor" extends from 201-300, "very poor" is between 301 and 400, and anything above 400 is deemed "severe".

Historically, the post-Diwali haze has lingered, especially with the winter weather compounding the pollution from firecrackers. But recent improvements reflect a shift: The years 2020 and 2021 were the most polluted, with AQIs in the "severe" range in 12 cities in 2020 and 22 cities in 2021.

This year Ambala registered the highest AQI at 367 the day after Diwali, while previous years had even starker readings: Begusarai led in 2023 with an AQI of 382, Jodhpur topped 2022 at 337, Noida hit 475 in 2021, and Jind marked 457 in 2020.

Delhi breathed in relatively good air the day after Diwali, with an AQI of 339. The worst post-Diwali AQI levels in Delhi were recorded in 2021 and 2020, with AQIs of 462 and 435, respectively.