Notwithstanding the restriction imposed by the Supreme Court verdict and massive awareness campaigns for eco-friendly celebrations, the pollution levels in the city saw a steep rise on the day of Deepavali.
Data suggest that sound pollution levels were doubled in almost all zones and air pollution levels were worse as the parameters went almost 10 to 15 times higher than the permissible limits on Wednesday night.
Air pollution levels, which is measured in Air Quality Index (AQI) PM2.5 (Particulate Matter) at around 11 pm on Wednesday, read 985. The AQI which was measured at three stations in the city recorded a drastic increase from 4 p.m. “The permissible limit of PM2.5 is 60. On Wednesday night, it has recorded 985, which is hazardous,” said K. Lakshmi Narayana, environmental engineer at the regional office of AP Pollution Control Board in the city.
PM 2.5 are tiny particles suspended in the air and it reduces visibility and most particularly, it can affect lungs, causing respiratory disorders, Mr. Lakshmi Narayana explained. On November 6, a day ahead of the festival, the average AQI PM2.5 of 33 was recorded which went up to 171 on the Deepavali night. Similarly, when it comes to noise pollution, all the zones recorded higher decibels.
Noise pollution
Statistics gathered by the APPCB office suggested that residential areas such as Pandurangapuram recorded the maximum noise level of 103.4 db to 106.7 db between 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. on Wednesday. The average noise levels recorded was 92.5 db when compared to the permissible limit of 45 db at night.
Silent zones such as King George Hospital recorded a maximum of 91.1 db on Wedneday evening, with an average reading of 77 db while the permissible limit is 40 db. Similarly RTC Complex, Kurupam market and several other places recorded extreme sound pollution levels on the Deepavali night. Senior citizens faced respiratory issues at several places owing to smoke.