The city’s air quality on Deepavali was worse than Delhi’s.
What’s it about? The city’s air quality on Deepavali day was the worst in three years, and more than Delhi’s for the day. Officials said the spike in pollution was due to the indiscriminate bursting of firecrackers, high relative humidity, and low wind levels. The climactic conditions weren’t conducive for the smoke to be dispersed.
- The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board’s (TNPCB) Air Quality Index (AQI) ranged from 345 to 786, categorised as “very poor” to “severe”. It’s enough to cause respiratory illness.
- The TNCPB monitored seven locations, including T Nagar, Triplicane, Besant Nagar, and Nungambakkam. Besant Nagar recorded the lowest AQI with 345 and Sowcarpet the highest with 786.
Decibel levels: Another thing measured during Deepavali is noise pollution. Noise levels were similar compared to the last few years. The highest was recorded in Thiruvottiyur with 79.7 dB(A), and the lowest was at Besant Nagar with 66 dB(A).