Lko choked on Diwali night as PM levels surge 180%: Report
On Diwali night (Monday), PM 10 reached 645 micrograms per cubic metre at Aliganj, followed by Aminabad (560), Vikas Nagar (534), and Chowk (522), representing a 183% increase over pre-Diwali levels. PM 2.5 peaked at 462 micrograms per cubic metre at Aliganj, with an average of 352.5 micrograms per cubic metre, a 177% rise over pre-Diwali readings.
Lucknow’s air quality deteriorated sharply during Diwali this year, with particulate matter levels far exceeding safe limits and recording a noticeable increase compared to last year. According to a report released on Thursday by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), PM (particulate matter) 10 and PM 2.5 levels surged across residential and commercial areas, while gaseous pollutants like SO₂ and NO₂ remained within permissible limits.
The report indicated substantial deterioration in air quality, with PM 10 and PM 2.5 exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of 100 and 60 micrograms per cubic metre, respectively.
On Diwali night (Monday), PM 10 reached 645 micrograms per cubic metre at Aliganj, followed by Aminabad (560), Vikas Nagar (534), and Chowk (522), representing a 183% increase over pre-Diwali levels. PM 2.5 peaked at 462 micrograms per cubic metre at Aliganj, with an average of 352.5 micrograms per cubic metre, a 177% rise over pre-Diwali readings. Compared with last year, PM 10 rose from 451 to 565.3 micrograms per cubic metre, and PM 2.5 increased from 324 to 352.5 micrograms per cubic metre, showing a clear upward trend in Diwali pollution.
As per the report, the study focused on two residential areas, Aliganj and Vikas Nagar, and two commercial hubs, Aminabad and Chowk. Aminabad recorded the highest pre-Diwali PM 10 level at 243 micrograms per cubic meter, while Aliganj was the most polluted during Diwali (645 micrograms per cubic metre) and post-Diwali night (347 micrograms per cubic metre). PM 2.5 levels were highest at Aliganj pre-Diwali (151 micrograms per cubic metre) and during Diwali (462 micrograms per cubic metre), with Aminabad recording the highest post-Diwali level (219 micrograms per cubic metre).
Following Diwali, pollution levels dropped to 294 micrograms per cubic metre for PM 10 and 179.3 micrograms per cubic metre for PM 2.5, indicating temporary relief in air quality, a trend also observed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The AQI, as per CPCB’s official AQI bulletin on Thursday, was 185.
CSIR-IITR director Bhaskar Narayan said PM 2.5 is particularly concerning as it can enter the bloodstream and affect health. He attributed the spike in pollution to firecracker burning and noted that warmer Diwali weather helped dissipate smog faster the following night. Narayan recommended discouraging individual firecracker bursting and promoting organised community events along river bodies to reduce pollution and support circular economy initiatives.
Diwali decibels ‘explode’ past safe CPCB limits
Despite a cry for a “green” and “less noisy” festival, Lucknow once again broke sound barriers this year. Noise levels in the state capital on Diwali night far exceeded the limits prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which sets the permissible levels at 45 decibels for residential areas and 55 decibels for commercial zones during night hours, as per the CSIR-IITR report released on Thursday.
According to official data, Vikas Nagar was the noisiest locality on Diwali, recording 89.3 decibels, nearly double the permissible limit. Chowk registered the highest noise level (85.6 dB) on the day before Diwali, while Aliganj was the noisiest the day after the festival, with 76.6 dB recorded.
CSIR-IITR director Bhaskar Narayan suggested promoting community firework displays, similar to Japan’s Hanabi festival, where people gather at designated locations to watch fireworks together.
“Such celebrations could significantly reduce the overall noise produced during the festival,” he said.
The report noted that night-time noise levels exceeded prescribed standards at all monitoring locations. It recommended stricter enforcement against illegal firecracker manufacturing and greater promotion of green firecrackers. The report also warned that firecrackers producing sound above 80 decibels (A) can damage the eardrum and impair hearing, either temporarily or permanently.
Prolonged exposure to high noise levels, it added, may cause annoyance, stress, hypertension, headache, sleep disturbance, and respiratory ailments such as allergic bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, rhinitis, and laryngitis.
