Pune AQI deteriorated from the moderate to the poor category on Diwali evening, reaching 218 across the city by 9pm on Sunday and 256 at Shivajinagar, while an IITM forecast indicated that pollution could rise to 389, in the very poor category, during the early hours of Monday.
The citywide reading of 218 was reported by an official based on readings from Pune’s monitoring stations. The Shivajinagar reading reached 256 at about 10.10pm. Both readings were classified as poor. The deterioration followed the Central Pollution Control Board’s 4pm bulletin, which had placed Pune’s average AQI at 163, in the moderate category, based on the preceding 24-hour average.
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s Air Quality Early Warning and Decision Support System forecast that Pune’s AQI could touch about 389 in the early morning. IITM had earlier indicated that hourly PM2.5 concentrations could reach around 250 micrograms per cubic metre on Sunday and cross 300 micrograms per cubic metre between 2am and 5am on Monday.
Officials attributed the expected overnight deterioration to continuing firecracker emissions, weaker winds and falling temperatures. An official said smoke and particulate matter released by firecrackers could remain closer to the ground for longer as wind speeds slowed, while cooler conditions could limit atmospheric mixing and allow pollutants to accumulate near the surface.
Pimpri Chinchwad was already in the poor category, with an AQI of 202 in the CPCB bulletin. Seven of the city’s eight monitoring stations contributed to that reading. The local weather forecast indicated a maximum temperature of about 32°C and a minimum of 15°C on Monday. Night temperatures were expected to fall to around 14°C on November 11 and 12, while daytime temperatures were likely to remain between 31°C and 32°C.
Residents reported poor visibility and difficulty breathing in several parts of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad as firecrackers continued through the evening. Shraddha Gadekar, a Pimpri Chinchwad resident, said the smoke was so dense that visibility had fallen to less than a foot. Residents from Baner, Pashan, the peth areas and Gokhalenagar also reported smoke, reduced visibility and difficult road travel.
Residents further alleged that loud firecrackers were being burst near silent zones and beyond permitted hours. Ravindra Sinha of Baner said firecrackers had been used near silent zones from early morning and beyond 10pm, which he described as a violation of noise pollution rules and a recent high court order. The supplied report did not include a separate response from enforcement authorities on these allegations.
The air-quality deterioration was accompanied by a series of fire incidents. Pune’s fire brigade received 48 calls reporting blazes between 3pm and 10pm on Laxmi Pujan day, and officials said firecrackers caused all the reported fires. No casualties or injuries were reported. Incidents involved dry grass, trees, residential premises, rubbish heaps, shops, warehouses and other commercial or industrial properties across areas including Kondhwa, Sadashiv Peth, Nana Peth, Shukrawar Peth, Ganj Peth, Kothrud, Kharadi, Warje, Viman Nagar, Undri, Rasta Peth, Fursungi and Satara Road.
