Baddi breathes easier this Diwali, AQI drops from last year’s 392 to 180

Baddi’s air quality showed remarkable improvement this Diwali, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping from last year’s alarming 392 to 280 on Diwali day and further improving to 180 a day later. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Baddi was among 71 towns in the “moderate” category, while 20 towns recorded “good” and 53 “satisfactory” air quality levels across the country.

Though an AQI of 180 is classified as “moderate,” it still poses health risks to sensitive groups, including people with asthma, lung disorders and heart ailments. The CPCB’s 24-hour AQI bulletin identified ozone as the dominant pollutant in the industrial town. The average PM2.5 concentration stood at 153 µg/m³ and PM10 at 129 µg/m³, both showing a significant reduction compared to previous years.

Officials of the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) attributed the poor air quality on Diwali night mainly to ground-level ozone formed by a mix of pollutants from firecrackers, vehicular emissions and stubble burning. “While ozone typically forms when sunlight reacts with pollutants, studies indicate that firecracker emissions can also trigger its formation at night,” an SPCB official explained.

With industrial activity suspended during the festival, vehicular traffic was limited, making firecracker emissions the primary contributor to pollution levels this year.

Baddi remains the only town in Himachal Pradesh with a real-time air quality monitoring station managed by the CPCB. Earlier this month, the town recorded AQI readings between 61 and 77 on three occasions, classified as “satisfactory”, and between 121 and 199 on other days.

Praveen Gupta, Member Secretary of SPCB Baddi, credited public awareness and the promotion of green crackers for the improvement. “Stress was laid on using green crackers that emit fewer pollutants, helping bring down particulate matter and reducing health risks,” he said.