Hyderabad's air quality reaches hazardous levels during Diwali celebrations

Hyderabad's air quality became hazardous on Deepavali night, October 31, 2024, due to extensive fireworks. PM2.5 levels peaked at 475 μg/m3 at the U.S. Consulate, with other areas also recording high pollution levels. The 10 p.m. deadline for fireworks was largely ignored, leading to increased pollution. Monitoring stations reported significant spikes in PM10 levels, reaching 605 μg/m3 at Ramachandrapuram. Several monitoring stations went offline during the peak pollution period, creating gaps in data. The Sanathnagar observatory resumed reporting at 1 a.m. on November 1, showing PM2.5 levels at 472 μg/m3.