Mumbai recorded an overall air quality improvement during the current Diwali period, but pollution levels worsened sharply at several locations after firecrackers were burst at night, with PM2.5 readings in Andheri and Malad reaching hazardous levels.
The city’s AQI stood at 132 on Sunday, nearly 30% better than the 188 recorded during the same period last year, according to data reported by The Times of India. However, the improvement masked severe localised spikes. In Andheri, the PM2.5 reading rose from 42 at 8pm to 597 two hours later, while Malad recorded a reading of 606. Chembur reported a PM10 level of 480 at 10pm.
The readings came as Diwali celebrations continued across Mumbai. Environmental activists said the city’s overall air-quality figure did not fully reflect the short-term pollution peaks experienced by residents in neighbourhoods where firecrackers were being burst.
Noise levels, however, appeared to be lower than in previous years. A recent study by the Awaaz Foundation and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board found that peak firecracker noise levels during pre-Diwali testing reached 93 decibels this year, compared with 144.9 decibels in 2006. The study indicated a substantial decline over two decades.
Sumaira Abdulali of the Awaaz Foundation said overall noise levels were lower so far, but cautioned that late-night firecracker use could change the assessment. She also said that a reading of 93 decibels remained above prescribed ambient noise limits for residential, commercial, industrial and silence zones.
The Mumbai and Thane District Fireworks Dealers Welfare Association described sales as broadly normal after a slow start. Its honorary general secretary, Minesh N Mehta, said sales had fallen to around 70% of usual levels by the end of Ganeshotsav before recovering during Navratri and Diwali. He said most products available were green crackers and that consumers had accepted them over the past five years.
Retailers in parts of Mumbai offered a more mixed account. A Vile Parle dealer reported lower sales than last year, while a Malad shop owner said some children were encouraging their parents to buy fewer crackers and choose products such as sparklers and ground spinners. Residents and local political leaders also attributed lower noise in some neighbourhoods to environmental awareness and court directions.
An Andheri resident said cracker sales and bursting had visibly declined in Lokhandwala, including within his housing society. Shiv Sena corporator Amey Ghole said celebrations had become more cultural and less loud, while BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha said many residents followed the Bombay High Court’s direction to burst crackers within housing complexes and grounds rather than on public roads.
The Bombay High Court recently said celebrities should voluntarily help spread awareness against firecracker pollution without charging public money. Mumbai also has 110 notified silence zones where firecrackers are prohibited. Firecrackers are banned across the city between 10pm and 6am.
The Awaaz Foundation has asked the state government to strengthen enforcement of noise regulations, particularly during Diwali. Monitoring of late-night firecracker activity and pollution levels remains the next immediate test of compliance with the city’s restrictions.
