PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry recorded a marginal improvement in air quality this Deepavali compared to the previous year. According to data from the Puducherry Pollution Control Committee (PPCC), the city registered an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 300 on Monday, falling under the ‘poor’ category. However this marks an improvement from last year’s AQI of 367, which was categorised as ‘very poor’.
At the same time, pollution levels rose sharply when compared to pre-Deepavali readings. AQI climbed from 50 before Deepavali to 300 on the festival day. During the permitted one-hour window for bursting crackers between 7 pm and 8 pm, PM10 levels spiked to 1032 µg/m³ and PM2.5 to 1026 µg/m³. Officials noted that particulate matter (PM) levels were three times higher than normal.
Thereafter, PM10 registered 133 µg/m³ from a pre-Deepavali level of 44, while PM2.5 increased to 120 µg/m³ from 30 µg/m³ on normal days. Further, ozone levels depleted significantly from 44.8 µg/m³ to 7.6 µg/m³. Noise pollution levels also went up to a maximum of 118 decibels on Monday, as against an average of 85 decibels. Meanwhile, intermittent rainfall lashing the union territory has been helping in neutralising the pollutants.
45 cases booked for cracker rule violations
The Puducherry police booked 45 cases across the union territory for violations of the Supreme Court’s order regarding bursting of firecrackers. Cases were registered under Section 34D of the Police (Pondicherry Amendment) Act, 1966, for bursting crackers beyond the permitted hours.
Most of the cases were booked suo motu by police personnel in both urban and rural areas. In Puducherry region, cases were reported from Mudaliarpet (1), Ariyankuppam (2), Orleanpet (3), Odiansalai (4), Kalapet (2), Muthialpet (1), Grand Bazaar (4), Reddiarpalayam (3), Mettupalayam (2), Sedarapet (1), D Nagar (1) and Lawspet (2) police station limits.
In rural limits, Nettapakkam police registered two cases each in Maducarai and Kariamanickam, Thirubuvanai (2), Thirukkanur (3), Katterikuppam (1), Bahour (5), Kirumampakkam (4) and Thavalakuppam (1). In the outlying regions, Karaikal reported six cases, followed by Mahe (2), and Yanam (3). Police said monitoring will continue to ensure strict compliance with environmental and safety regulations.