Diwali celebrations amplify air pollution levels in Visakhapatnam

On Monday, Visakhapatnam City witnessed a major spike in air pollution levels due to crackers’ bursting. The officials of the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) stated that the air quality on 24 October 2022 rose to the ‘unhealthy’ level. As per the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQ), the Particulate Matter (PM) 10 stood at 151-200 micrograms per cubic meter, while PM 2.5 was recorded at 80 mg per cubic meter.

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The APPCB identified PM 10 and PM 2.5 as the primary air pollutants in Visakhapatnam. The board also stated that this year witnessed a higher spike compared to 2021, during which PM10 stood at 131. Further, it added that the city recorded PM10 levels of 89.4 and PM2.5 levels of 35 the day before Diwali, i.e. 23 October 2022.

On Monday, the highest PM10 level was recorded at Pedagantyada, where it reached 204 mg per cubic meter, and the lowest was Gnanapuram- 118. Vizag recorded average PM10 levels of 89.4 and PM2.5 levels of 35 a week before Diwali. As per the NAAQ norms, the PM10 and PM2.5 readings should be restricted to figures below 100 and 60 respectively.

Some of the other areas where air pollution levels spiked above the limits in Visakhapatnam are- Autonagar (PM10 – 181, PM2.5- 80), Police Barracks (140, PM2.5 46), and Mindi (PM10- 148, PM2.5- 69).

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