Air quality control blows up in smoke as festivities choke city

Another year, same story. With double festivities being celebrated this year on October 21 — Diwali and Bandi Chhor Diwas — the air quality index (AQI) in Amritsar once again deteriorated, averaging between 224 to 250 as recorded by the air monitoring device installed near the Golden Temple. This falls under the “poor” category, attributed largely to fireworks, stubble burning, and vehicular emissions, consistent with trends from previous years.

The Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) levels were also marked as poor, indicating a significant decline in breathable air quality. Despite year-round efforts by environmental activists and the district administration to control stubble burning and regulate cracker bursting through limited window periods, the AQI remained in the poor range. The real-time air quality data is sourced from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).

Data over the past three years shows a consistent decline in Amritsar’s air quality during Diwali, with this year’s AQI being 1.02 times higher than the average AQI of other cities in Punjab. In November 2024, Amritsar had recorded an AQI of 369 the day after Diwali. Recent trends suggest worsening conditions, with some areas in Punjab even entering “red” and “severe” AQI categories due to the combined effects of celebratory pollution and crop residue burning.

Rajiv Gupta, the official in charge of fire and stubble burning control, said the number of active stubble burning cases has significantly decreased compared to last year. “Till October 21, the total active farm fire cases stand at 415, as compared to over 1,500 last year. With active on-ground enforcement, stubble burning has largely been checked and hasn’t contributed significantly to the air quality decline in the Majha belt,” he said.

Atul Kaushal, Environmental Engineer with the Punjab Pollution Control Board, noted that even though the window for firecracker use was kept short this year, violations were widespread. “The confusion over Diwali being celebrated across two days contributed to unchecked firecracker usage. However, Punjab’s average AQI during Diwali has shown some improvement from last year. This year, the average AQI hovered between 220 and 230, whereas last year it breached the 260 mark,” he stated.