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Chennai: The city witnessed a rise in air pollution levels following Diwali celebrations as the sound of firecrackers continued to echo across the state capital.
According to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), the city’s average air quality index (AQI) rose sharply to 154 by Tuesday morning, while it was 80 the previous evening. The highest AQI level of 217 was recorded in Perungudi, followed by 151 each in Manali and Velachery, 145 in Arumbakkam and 128 in Alandur.
Despite the spike, officials noted that this year’s pollution levels were much lower than those recorded during Diwali in 2024, when the highest AQI was 287 in Valasaravakkam and the lowest was 150 in Tiruvottiyur.
Officials said the drop was due to intermittent rain across Chennai during the festival season, which helped suppress suspended particles in the air.
Even as the city grappled with temporary smog and haze, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) got involved in the post-festival clean-up drive. By 6 pm on Monday, civic teams had cleared about 60 metric tonnes of firecracker waste from across the city. The highest quantity in Alandur area was 6.89 MT, followed by Perungudi at 6.03 MT.
More than 6,000 sanitation workers were deployed overnight to remove firecracker debris and separate waste. The collected material was sent to waste management centers at Gummidipoondi, Kodungaiyur and Perungudi.
Civic officials also appealed to residents to hand over firecracker waste separately to sanitation workers for safe disposal.
Meanwhile, the state’s 108 emergency ambulance service recorded a 61 per cent increase in calls compared to normal days. Till 6 pm on Monday, a total of 4,635 calls were received across the state, including 135 cases of burns linked to firecracker accidents.
Diwali was celebrated with traditional enthusiasm across Tamil Nadu. People wore new clothes, distributed sweets and illuminated their houses.
Despite a brief spell of rain, the festive spirit did not diminish, and the celebrations continued late into the night – a lively but bleak end to one of the most awaited festivals of the state.
–IANS