As citizens of Hyderabad celebrated Deepavali on Thursday night, air quality deteriorated beyond hazardous level with the key indicator – PM 2.5 (particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns) – hovering beyond the danger mark of 500 in its air quality index (AQI) as per the hourly data collected by the American Consulate’s air monitoring station in the city.
The data released by Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) showed that the PM 2.5 surged to a 24-hour average of 112 ug/m3 on Diwali night as against the daily average of 60 ug/m3 in the city. Though the TSPCB 24-hour pollution data showed 112 ug/m3, it peaked at 143 ug/m3 at 1 a.m.; when the American Consulate’s air quality index for Hyderabad peaked at 846. For all its notoriety, New Delhi’s air quality was better at 1 a.m. at 540.
“My God. That’s very high. We expect air quality to deteriorate during Deepavali, but this is way too high and can trigger allergy-related lung ailments, allergic eye infections, arrhythmia among patients on cardiac medication or treatment and even precipitate cardiac events,” said Vijay Kumar Chinnamchetty, pulmonologist at Apollo Hospitals, who reported treating four cases of acute asthma on Friday.
The TSPCB officials said the pollution hung in the air and did not get dispersed as the wind speed averaged .8 metres per second as against the average of 2.8 mts per second in the city. Noise pollution level went up from 65 dB (decibel) recorded last year to 71 (decibel) this year. Other pollutants like Sulphur Dioxide and Oxides of Nitrogen levels showed a decline in comparison to last year. The SO2 average was 6.1 ug/m3 as against the last year’s 8.8 ug/m3, while Oxides of Nitrogen were recorded at 30 ug/m3 as against the last year’s 24-hour average of 32 ug/m3 on Deepavali day. However, it had rained on Deepavali day in 2016 leading to lower levels.
