The Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee monitored Ambient Air Quality Levels at 3 different locations

November 8, 2018

The Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee monitored Ambient Air Quality and Noise Levels at 3 different locations {i.e. Sector 22 (Residential Zone), Punjab Engineering College, Sector 12 (Silence Zone) and Sector 17 (Commercial Zone)} in Chandigarh on 01.11.2018 (Thursday) a week before Diwali and on 07.11.2018 (Wednesday) on Diwali Day as per the guidelines of Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi. The highlights of the analysis are as below:

Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂) levels at all the locations are within the permissible limits.
Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) levels at all the locations are within permissible limits.
Noise levels in these three locations were higher in comparison to the previous year. Beating of drums at places was also observed adding to the noise in these localities.
PM10 as well as PM 2.5 Levels were increased at all the three locations as compared to last year’s Diwali. The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Sector 22, 17 and 12 was 311,177 and 297 respectively compared to 240, 137 and 247 during the previous year’s diwali which shows a positive trend in AQI compared to last year’s diwali. However, an important factor to be taken into consideration that diwali was celebrated last year on 19^th October, 2017 where the temperature was 23.5 degree Celsius (at 8.00 pm) compared to 16.6 degree Celsius on 7^th November, 2018 during the current year. The temperature is thus an important factor contributing towards increase in AQI. A comparative data of AQI at Sector 17 and Sector 12 taken on 7^th November, 2017 viz-a- viz 7^th November, 2018 shows a sharp decline in AQI compared to last year on 7^th November, 2017. Compared to AQI of 177 and 297 at Sector 17 and Sector 12 on 7^thNovember, 2018 the AQI was 362 and 306 during the previous year on the same day i.e. 7^th November.

It is, thus, to say that AQI of 7^th November, 2017 (Normal day) was much higher than the AQI of 7^th November, 2018 (Diwali day). Thus massive awareness campaign coupled with order from Hon’ble Court has paid dividend in making an impact on the society to keep a check on the pollution load of the environment due to bursting of crackers during Diwali. The sustained efforts in these directions shall help in further creating awareness amongst the civil society to check pollution.