Baddi, Nalagarh, Manali most polluted on Diwali

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, November 12

The industrial town of Baddi registered the worst air pollution on Diwali with its respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) level reaching an alarming 248 ug/m3 as against the 24-hourly standard being 100 ug/m3.

The situation was no better in the adjoining Nalagarh industrial cluster where the RSPM level was 221 ug/m3 while the famous tourist destination of Manali also registered high RSPM at 207.48 ug/m3. Parwanoo also exceeded the safe limit of RSPM which was recorded at 171 ug/m3. The industrial town of Paonta Sahib also registered a high RSPM level of 104.1 ug/m3 while in Una, the level was slightly better at 102.6 ug/m3 though it too exceeded the safe limit.

Sundernagar, which is a non-industrial area, also registered a high RSPM level at 144 which was more than double the limit observed on the previous days.

In Shimla, the RSPM level was at 76ug/m3 though it did register an increase from 53.3 registered the previous day. In Dharamsala, the level of RSPM was 112 as against 67 witnessed a day before the festival of lights.

With a few measures having been taken to reduce air pollution during Diwali, most bordering industrial towns exceeded the safe limits.

This was despite the fact that seven towns figured on the national list of 102 non-attainment cities of the country where the ambient air quality was worse than the national ambient air quality standards prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board. Himachal was the fourth such state having the highest number of such towns which included Nalagarh, Paonta Sahib, Parwanoo, Sundernagar, Baddi, Kala Amb and Damtal.

Other industrial towns like Kala Amb, however, registered the RSPM level at 86.9 ug/m3 while Damtal in Kangra district was the cleanest with merely 57 ug/m3 RSPM.

Member Secretary, State Pollution Control Board, RK Pruthi, said the board had conducted ambient air quality monitoring to assess the impact of bursting of crackers and other related activities in various towns on Diwali and a week prior to the festival. “The monitoring results proved that bursting of crackers had led to higher concentration of RSPM, NOx, SO2 level in the ambient air at Parwanoo, Dharamsala, Paonta Sahib, Una, Sundernagar, Baddi, Nalagarh and Manali.”

“The RSPM concentration was observed within the prescribed standard in Shimla, Damtal, Kala Amb on Diwali while its concentration at Parwanoo, Dharamsala, Damtal, Paonta Sahib, Una, Sundernagar, Housing Board-Baddi, Nalagarh and Manali was observed more in comparison to the previous year,” said Pruthi.

The board also assessed that with respect to SO2 concentrations except at Parwanoo, Paonta Sahib, Kala Amb and Manali, its values were below the detectable limit while concentration of NOx were also well within the prescribed safe limit.

Dark skyline

Town Std pollution 

level (100 ug/m3)

Baddi 248

Nalagarh 221

Manali 207.48

Parwanoo    171

Sundernagar 144

Dharamsala 112

Paonta Sahib 104.1 

Una              102.6  

Shimla        76