Officials said with a drop in night temperature and firecrackers continuing to be burst across the city, the air quality would worsen in Pune on Monday morning
According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)’s Air Quality Early Warning and Decision Support System, the AQI was forecast to touch around 389 (very poor category) in the early hours of Monday. CPCB’s Sunday bulletin, based on average of the preceding 24 hours, had recorded Pune’s AQI at 163 (moderate) at 4pm.
Officials said with a drop in night temperature and firecrackers continuing to be burst across the city, the situation would worsen. Ravindra Sinha from Baner said, “This year also loud firecrackers have been used near silent zones as early as 4am and at night beyond 10pm in complete violation of the recent high court order and noise pollution rules. Pushkar Kulkarni, a resident of Pashan, said, “The pollution levels were so high, I could barely see the building next to my house.
The sharp evening deterioration was reflected in the contrast between the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s afternoon bulletin and IITM’s more recent readings. Residents claimed that the ground situation had not improved despite claims of reducing the festive noise and the air pollution. It is very alarming.”
Pune: The city’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Diwali evening, as the average AQI entered the poor category by 9pm on Sunday though it was in the moderate category in Central Pollution Control Board’s 4pm bulletin.
Pune’s local weather forecast was for a maximum temperature of around 32°C and a minimum of 15°C on Monday. Night temperatures are expected to fall to around 14°C on Nov 11 and 12, while daytime maximums are likely to remain around 31-32°C. The latest readings indicated that pollution levels had increased considerably in Pune as the evening progressed. Firecracker emissions added to the existing pollution load. Meteorological conditions are expected to play a role in the further deterioration of AQI.