Hyderabad air quality dips sharply after Diwali; Delhi faces hazardous smog

Hyderabad: Air quality in the city dropped sharply on Diwali night as fireworks filled the sky with smoke and dust. The Telangana Pollution Control Board said pollution levels rose sharply between evening and midnight on Sunday across several parts of the city.

Hyderabad records severe air pollution after Diwali

Sanathnagar recorded the highest PM10 concentration at 153 µg/m³. Other stations also reported alarming readings — New Malakpet (164 µg/m³), Kapra (140 µg/m³), Kokapet (134 µg/m³), Somajiguda (122 µg/m³), Ramachandrapuram (122 µg/m³), and Kompally (120 µg/m³).

Officials attributed the spike to heavy use of firecrackers across the city. Therefore, residents experienced low visibility and rising pollution levels. However, authorities expect air quality to improve as wind speeds increase during the week.

Delhi faces hazardous air quality after Diwali

Meanwhile, New Delhi faced a similar crisis with dense smog covering much of the city. The Air Quality Index (AQI) reached around 350 at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, placing the capital in the “very poor” category.

Environmental experts raised concern over the health risks of breathing such polluted air. Moreover, the Supreme Court had allowed only green crackers for limited hours. Despite this, many people lit conventional fireworks, worsening pollution levels.

Experts link smog to violation of green cracker norms

Environmentalists said large-scale use of regular firecrackers caused the toxic haze. In addition, they explained that dense smog trapped pollutants close to the ground.
“People could have avoided this situation by following the green cracker guidelines,” one expert said. Consequently, Delhi’s air turned hazardous, leaving thick haze across the city.