Incidentally, Shimla is the only place in the state to be in “good category”, which ranges from 0-50. The city’s AQI on November 2 and November 3 was 36 and 38, respectively.
Subhash Rajta
Tribune News Service
Shimla, November 6
Even as major cities across North India registered an alarming spike in the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Diwali, Shimla recorded a surprisingly low AQI level of 40 and was categorised as “good”.
From a “moderate” 125.7 on Diwali in 2019, the city’s AQI level dipped to a “satisfactory” 68 last year, and to “good” 40 this year.
Incidentally, Shimla is the only place in the state to be in “good category”, which ranges from 0-50. The city’s AQI on November 2 and November 3 was 36 and 38, respectively.
The fact that the AQI went up by just two points on Diwali shows that Shimla residents showed a lot of restraint in bursting crackers. “Bursting less crackers has become a trend in the city over the past couple of years,” Municipal Commissioner Ashish Kohli said.
Councillor Rakesh Sharma said, “Most people stopped bursting crackers around 10 pm, the deadline set by the government.”
“Moreover, schools are closed and most students have gone back home. This may also be one of the reasons behind bursting of less crackers and low AQI in the city this time,” he added.