Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Diwali celebrations left a toxic trail across Indore, with air pollution surging after hours of fireworks. Data from four monitoring locations, Regal, Airport, Meghdoot Park and Residency, showed alarming overnight spikes in particulate matter, with PM10 and PM2.5 touching the monitoring limit of 1,000 at multiple stations.
According to environmentalist and environmental scientist Dilip Waghela, pollution rose sharply between 10 pm on Nov 8 and the early hours of Nov 9. At Regal, PM10 jumped from 76 at 5 pm to 1,000 by midnight. PM2.5 surged from 29 to 715 by 11 pm, reaching 1,000 at 1 am.
At Meghdoot Park, PM10 rose from 24 at 5 pm to 700 by 11 pm and 984 at midnight, subsequently touching the upper limit. PM2.5 climbed from 14 to 819.
At Residency, PM10 increased from 26.39 to 756.61 between 5 pm and 11 pm, while PM2.5 rose from 15.05 to 570.76. Both reached the upper limit by midnight.
At Airport, PM10 climbed from 33 at 5 pm to 993 at midnight, reaching the upper limit at 1 am.
Expert comment
“Air pollution levels in Indore during Diwali were alarming. Ultrafine PM2.5 particles can travel deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing inflammation, asthma attacks and breathlessness. Exposure raises heart and stroke risks. Firecracker gases irritate the respiratory system, especially affecting children, elderly people and those with heart or respiratory diseases. Cold temperatures and slow winds kept pollutants trapped.”
Dilip Waghela
Former Pollution Control Board official
Environmentalist and environmental scientist
Pollution Board officials defend figures
“With winter setting in, rising humidity, falling temperatures and stable atmospheric conditions restrict the dispersion of pollutants, keeping them concentrated near the ground. Moisture can also increase the size of fine particles.
Indore's AQI rose from 220 on Sunday evening to 230 at night and 274 on Monday morning. As daytime temperatures climbed to around 25°C, it declined to 258. The city's average AQI remained around 230, gradually improving during the day as solar heating increased air movement and pollutant dispersion”
Satish Kumar Chouksey
Regional officer
Pollution Control Board, Sagar
Cigarette comparison raises serious health concerns
Environmentalist Subhash C Pandey says 24-hour exposure to an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 350 may have an impact comparable to smoking 10-12 cigarettes, rising to 25 cigarettes when AQI exceeds 400.
This is an illustrative comparison, not a direct medical measure. PM2.5 is a major concern as fine particles penetrate deep into the lungs and may enter the bloodstream.
AQI.in map shows alarming readings
The AQI.in air-quality map displayed exceptionally high satellite monitoring values across Indore. Teen Puliya recorded 2,334, marked 'Hazardous'.
Other readings included Bada Bangarda-Gandhi Nagar at 2,260, New Palasia at 1,931, Scheme No 54 at 1,892, Khushwah Nagar at 1,782 and Vidur Nagar at 1,604, with readings above 1,000 at other mapped locations.
