Children, elderly at risk as Midnapore’s air turns hazardous post-Diwali

The festive glow of lights and lamps in Midnapore this Diwali came veiled in a thick haze of smoke and suspended dust.

- BISWABRATA GOSWAMI

As fireworks lit up the night sky, the air in the town and its suburbs turned increasingly toxic, prompting environmentalists and researchers to sound the alarm over worsening air quality.

According to a survey led by Professor Prabhat Kumar Sheet, the town’s air pollution levels spiked sharply during Kali Puja and Diwali celebrations, exceeding the acceptable limits in several neighbourhoods. “The joy of the festival is getting lost behind clouds of poisonous smoke,” professor Sheet said. “The metallic compounds and chemicals released by firecrackers create fine particulate matter in the air. During such nights, PM2.5 levels can increase anywhere between 30 per cent and AOO per cent.”