Nagpur: The air quality in Nagpur recorded ‘very poor’ level in the early hours of Tuesday after firecrackers were set off across the city from late Monday evening. As per environmentalists, the pollution was worse in the last seven years. Data released by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) revealed that post-midnight, the level of harmful particulate matter (PM) 2.5 reached as high as 391 in the city. This comes under the category of very poor and can lead to respiratory illness or prolonged illness.
As per the data available on CPCB website, the pollutant level touched the 201 mark between 1 pm and 2 pm. Whereas, the country-wide AQI bulletin issued by CPCB on Tuesday mentioned the air quality of Nagpur city ‘Moderate’ with its level at 198. The restriction of time (8 pm to 10 pm) by the government for bursting fire-crackers last year caused less air pollution on post Diwali day. Similarly, due to pandemic and lockdown in 2021, the ban on fire-crackers reported a huge dip in pollution level.
Gold Rate
Thursday 13 March 2025
Till 5 am on Tuesday, the pollutant level remained above 300 before it started falling after 6 am. The overall air quality index (AQI) of the city was recorded as 200, which is considered moderate. AQI is a tool which measures the ambient concentrations of pollutants and transforms complex data into a single number. Data further showed that the main pollutant in the city was PM2.5.
One of the worst AQI that the city saw during Diwali was 192 recorded in 2017. According to environmentalists, the pollution data is clear evidence of the toxicity caused by burning firecrackers. Analysis done by NGO Green Vigil Foundation showed that two days before Diwali, the city’s air quality was moderate.
Meanwhile, due to restrictions in the last two years, the pollution level decreased drastically in Nagpur city post Diwali. However, the AQI data for the year 2021 and 2022 are also not available on the CPCB website. In 2019, on post Diwali (October 28), the AQI was recorded 103 which was moderate In 2018, 2017 and 2016 also, the AQI was 170, 192 and 151 respectively.
In the last seven years, this Diwali marked the AQI’s first time in the poor category. Even the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) which is responsible for monitoring the city’s air quality is situated in Civil Lines. And the area is the greenest and pollution free place in the city. If the Civil Lines area reported PM2.5 level at 201 then the air quality of other places like Sadar, Mahal, Wadi etc. will be more severe.
“Sudden dip in minimum temperature might be a reason behind the poor air quality of the city. But bursting fire-crackers is another reason behind high pollution,” said a senior official of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). In Maharashtra, on post Diwali night, Nagpur was the fifth most polluted city after Aurangabad (253), Chandrapur (246), Navi Mumbai (234) and Mumbai (212).
