Hyderabad’s air quality deteriorated sharply after Diwali celebrations, with the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 315 between 10 pm and 4 am, according to readings on the Central Pollution Control Board’s SAMEER app. The level falls in the “Very Poor” category and raised concerns for people with asthma and chronic respiratory conditions, even as gaps in Telangana’s official monitoring network limited confirmation of some exceptionally high readings.
The SAMEER reading had declined to 118 by Monday evening. Under the national AQI scale, readings from 101 to 200 are classified as “Moderate”, 201 to 300 as “Poor” and 301 to 400 as “Very Poor”. Readings above 400 fall into the “Severe” category.
A third-party platform, AQI.in, reported a city average of 321 on November 8. It also showed much higher readings at individual locations, including 828 at Prakashnagar, 628 at Kukatpally and 625 at Bikshapathinagar. These station-level readings are not directly comparable with the citywide average. Readings from Serilingampally also varied between platforms.
The Telangana State Pollution Control Board’s monitoring network was not providing data by Monday evening. A TSPCB official said the Board’s University of Hyderabad station was offline during the peak pollution period, meaning the highest readings circulating online could not be independently confirmed as official Board readings. The official said the Board’s data was available only until 8 pm.
SAMEER readings from Monday showed significant variation across the city. The AQI was 158 at ECIL-Kapra, 146 at Kokapet, 142 at New Malakpet, 140 at Ramachandrapuram, 122 at ICRISAT and 120 at Kompally. Lower readings were recorded at Sanathnagar at 95, IIT Hyderabad in Kandi at 88, the University of Hyderabad at 62 and Bollaram Industrial Area at 50.
The TSPCB official attributed the sudden deterioration partly to firecracker smoke. Vehicle emissions, road dust, construction activity and industrial pollution also contribute to Hyderabad’s wider pollution burden. Lingering smoke and dust were reported in several localities into Monday morning, indicating that the short-term festival spike was interacting with existing urban pollution sources.
Dr Sravan M., superintendent of Chest Hospital, advised people with asthma and chronic lung conditions to avoid exposure to smoke and fog. He recommended keeping doors and windows closed during smoky conditions, remaining indoors, taking additional medication only as advised by doctors, avoiding early-morning walks, going out after sunrise and wearing N95 masks. He said exposure could worsen shortness of breath and cause throat irritation.
The immediate public-health picture therefore remains uneven across Hyderabad: official and third-party readings point to poor or very poor air quality in parts of the city, while the outage at at least one TSPCB monitoring station has left the peak pollution episode without a complete official record. The Board’s monitoring data and station availability remain the key next points for establishing the full extent of the post-Diwali deterioration.
