Ghaziabad records least pollution spike on Diwali in 3 yrs

The CPCB’s AQI bulletin (the average of last 24 hours till 4pm) on Tuesday revealed that the city recorded an AQI of 316 on Monday and 324 on Tuesday, showing a spike of eight points during Diwali

Ghaziabad: The city of Ghaziabad saw only a marginal spike in pollution between Diwali night and the day after, even as residents burst crackers in large numbers following the Supreme Court’s green-cracker nod. While the increase was the lowest recorded since 2023, the overall air quality remained grim.

According to the official AQI figures, the city during the Diwali day (October 31, 2024) and the day after recorded a pollution spike of 33 points in 2023 with AQI figures of 273 and 306, respectively. In 2023, the spike was 143 points, with Diwali day AQI on November 12, 2023, at 143 and 329 a day after. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

According to CPCB’s 24-hour AQI bulletin till 4pm Tuesday, the city recorded an AQI of 316 on Monday and 324 on Tuesday – an eight-point rise over the festive period. “Conditions have eased slightly since the night of Diwali,” said Ankit Kumar, regional officer of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (Ghaziabad).

“Wind velocity helped disperse some pollutants, but road dust, vehicular emissions, and firecrackers were major contributors. We conducted water sprinkling drives near four monitoring stations to control dust.”

Comparative data showed that the city’s pollution surge this year was far milder than in the recent past. During Diwali in 2023, the AQI had shot up by 143 points -- from 186 on Diwali day to 329 the next day. In 2024, the spike was 33 points, from 273 to 306.

“There was a thick layer of smoke and dust till well past midnight,” said Vikrant Sharma, a resident of Raj Nagar Extension. “By morning, sunlight broke through, and some of the smog lifted. But we know this is temporary. Once stubble-burning smoke drifts in, the situation will worsen again.”

According to the IMD, the maximum temperature for Ghaziabad was recorded as 31 °C, and minimum as 21°C on Tuesday. The forecast for Wednesday said that the maximum would be 32°C and minimum to be 21°C. IMD also predicted fog/mist in the morning and mainly clear sky later in the day for Wednesday.