Post-Deepavali air quality hits new low in eastern India’s State capitals

The national capital’s AQI was at 339 after Deepavali; Kolkata, Ranchi, and Bhubaneshwar were not far behind

All major State capitals in eastern India saw significantly bad air quality after Deepavali, trailing close to Delhi which is known for its poor air quality around the festivities. However, Kolkata’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was the worst, recording ‘very poor’ in many places, comparable to the national capital’s records.

Also Read: AQI in Kolkata deteriorating rapidly ahead of Deepavali reveals study

In Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi, the air quality shift was striking. Right before Deepavali, cyclone Dana on the Bay of Bengal brought clean air to the region and AQI remained between 57 to 87 from October 24 to 30. But the clean air was short-lived as the rates shot up to 268 on October 31, the day of Deepavali and peaked on November 1, when it reached the 290 mark. Till November 2 the AQI remained consistent in the ‘poor’ category with gradual improvement from November 3. 

On the other hand, Kolkata’s air quality also remained ‘good’ right before Deepavali aided by the winds of cyclone Dana. But things changed dramatically Rabindra Bharati University in the outskirts of Kolkata recorded 310 AQI on Deepavali. Ballygunge, in the heart of Kolkata, recorded 300 AQI on November 2. It was ‘very poor’ on both days, giving close competition to Delhi which stood at 339 on November 1. 

Whereas, Bhubaneshwar’s AQI did not rise dramatically but saw a sharp rise. The city recorded only 70 on the AQI meter on Deepavali, but the numbers rose to 135 on November 1 and 186 the next day, which was the highest during the season. 

The post-Deepavali recovery was much faster for Bhubaneshwar and Ranchi, whereas things remained bad for Kolkata for a longer period as the recovery was slower and the AQI was also worse than the other two capital cities. 

Published - November 14, 2024 08:42 pm IST