Bhumi Pednekar raises alarm over ‘hazardous’ AQI in Mumbai post Diwali, says people were bursting crackers even at 3 AM

Diwali firecrackers triggered overnight pollution spikes in Mumbai, with Navy Nagar recording an AQI of 497 and several areas crossing 400.

Firecracker bursting on Diwali night led to a sharp rise in pollution in Mumbai, with nine of the city’s 25 air quality monitoring stations recording poor air quality on Monday morning. Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 171 on Monday morning, placing it in the moderate category.

Bhumi Pednekar also tagged Mumbai police as she shared her concern on bursting crackers. (PTI)

Actor Bhumi Pednekar raised concerns over the deteriorating air quality following Diwali celebrations.

Bhumi's statement

Taking to Instagram Stories, she shared: “Houses have caught fire, the AQI is hazardous, roads are full of waste, its 3 am and all I can hear are loud crackers. Our roads were full of people bursting crackers on them, out in the open, even when it’s not allowed. This is heartbreaking. @my bmc ®mumbaipolice."

Deep Dive

How high did Mumbai’s AQI rise after Diwali?

Why did air pollution spike in Mumbai after Diwali?

Who is most vulnerable to Mumbai’s post-Diwali air pollution?

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Bhumi via Instagram Stories.

She also shared a post on Monday morning, which read: “Diwali is a festival of light, love, family and new beginnings. But every year, along with the celebrations, comes a familiar aftermath: polluted air, firecracker waste, noise and frightened animals. Firecrackers release fine particulate matter and other pollutants that add to an already challenging air-quality situation. And the impact isn’t experienced equally. Children, older people, those with respiratory conditions and animals are particularly vulnerable. This year, let’s make a choice that allows everyone including the ones who cannot speak for themselves to enjoy the festival.”

AQI crosses 400 in Mumbai

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI of 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 severe.

On Monday morning, nine monitoring stations recorded poor air quality, 12 were in the moderate category, three recorded satisfactory air quality and only Borivali East recorded good air quality.

Chembur recorded similarly high readings, with the AQI rising to 334 before climbing further to 401 overnight. By 7 am, the reading had fallen to 216. Navy Nagar was among the worst-affected locations. Its AQI, already high at 359 around 10pm, remained close to the 400 mark through the night, peaking at 497 at 2 am. At 7 am, it stood at 274. At Shivaji Nagar, the AQI spiked to 444 at 11 pm. Readings were comparatively lower in the hours before and after the spike, with the AQI standing at 223 at 7 am.