Begumpet AQI hits 828 as firecrakers choke Hyderabad on Diwali night

Hyderabad: It took just two hours on Diwali night for Hyderabad’s air to go from unhealthy to hazardous. At around 9:30 pm on Sunday, November 8, the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 509, a hazardous level that amounts to a major public health emergency. The reading held steady until 3 am on Monday, November 9, and has been easing slowly since.

Siasat.com tracked the data from Saturday evening, November 7, the day before Diwali, to Monday, the day after the festival.

From 3 pm on November 7, Hyderabad’s AQI hovered between 150 and 180, a range considered unhealthy for breathing.

The air was still unhealthy at 3 pm on Diwali day. But once the festivities began and firecrackers lit up the skies, conditions worsened sharply, putting all forms of life at risk.

According to data from aqi.in, Hyderabad’s AQI shot up from 176 (severe) to 321 (hazardous) between 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm. More than 50 areas across the city crossed the hazardous mark.

Begumpet worst hit

Prakashraj Nagar Metro Station in the Begumpet area recorded the worst air quality in the city. Its AQI doubled from 414 to 828 in just 15 minutes.

Kukatpally, Serilingampally, Banjara Hills, Gachibowli, Hafeezpet and Defence Colony stayed above 500 throughout Diwali night, as people kept bursting firecrackers well past the permitted 10 pm deadline.

Noise levels soar

Noise pollution went through the roof as well. At 9:30 pm, the peak of the celebrations, the city recorded 89.6 decibels. That is a high-risk level and extremely unsafe, especially for newborns, infants, young children, stray animals and birds.

The noise stayed at that level until midnight.

At 11:30 pm, Hyderabad’s average AQI stood at 482. Defence Colony recorded 685, followed by Banjara Hills at 536 and Serilingampally at 482.

On Monday, the city woke up to a hazy morning blanketed in thick smog, even though the AQI had dropped significantly.

The worst may not be over. With Diwali celebrations likely to continue on Monday night, pollution levels could spike again, even as the city has barely recovered from Sunday’s smog. 

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