Large parts of Hyderabad turned into a gas chamber on Sunday night as superfine particulate matter count was off the charts. At 9 p.m., the Sanathnagar sampling station of Telangana State Pollution Control Board recorded PM2.5 concentration at 830 microgram/m3. The concentration of PM2.5 was much higher than the 2018 figure on Deepavali night when it touched 622 microgram/m3 between 9 and 10 p.m. The permissible limit under the National Ambient Air Quality standards is between 40 and 60 microgram/m3.
Elsewhere in the city at the Nehru Zoological Park, surrounded by a vast Mir Alam Tank and greenery, the PM2.5 count surged to an unhealthy 165 microgram/m3. In the middle of the city, the US Consulate’s air quality index moved between 194 at 8 p.m. to a peak of 462 microgram/m3 at 11 p.m.
It was Sanathnagar and area with a mix of residential blocks and a few industries that showed how the pollution raged due to bursting of crackers in the night. At 8 p.m., the PM 2.5 was 195 microgram/m3 that spiked to 620 microgram/m3 before touching 830 microgram/m3 at 11 p.m. Even at midnight, when the sound of crackers eased a bit, the pollution was logged 720 microgram/m3.
The state PCB is monitoring the ambient air quality as per the directions of the Supreme Court over the past few years.
PM2.5 concentrations above 151 microgram/m3 are considered unhealthy, above 201 microgram/m3 is classified as very unhealthy and above 300 microgram/m3 is considered hazardous as the superfine particles can be inhaled and get lodged in the lungs.
However, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide concentrations were logged below the acceptable limits specified under the National Ambient Air Quality (NAAQ) Standards. According to the PCB officials, Hyderabad air quality of Deepavali night has shown a continuous improvement over the past.
But on Deepavali night, citizens in many areas of Hyderabad breathed air that was dangerous for their health.
