Indore, celebrated as India’s cleanest city, recorded an alarming decline in air quality on Friday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) breached the 400 mark, reaching the “severe” category, according to the State Pollution Control Board.
In the Chhoti Gwaltoli area, one of Indore’s densest and most traffic-laden zones, the AQI measured 404 at noon, with PM2.5 levels at 255.26 and PM10 at 318.08, indicating hazardous concentrations of particulate matter.
These readings mark a rare occurrence for a city usually classified in the “satisfactory” range, said Dr. Dilip Vaghela, an environmental expert and former board official.
“Intense Diwali celebrations beginning Thursday morning and continuing well into the night are the main factors driving air quality to the severe threshold,” Vaghela explained.
The India Meteorological Department recorded the city’s wind speed at zero km per hour early Friday, which hindered the dispersion of pollutants, causing them to stagnate and worsen the air conditions, Vaghela added.
According to Clean Air Catalyst, a global coalition dedicated to improving air quality, vehicular emissions and road dust together account for 70 per cent of Indore’s pollution levels, even under normal circumstances.
The absence of wind has exacerbated the situation post-Diwali, confining pollutants within the city’s boundaries.
This sharp increase in pollution is in stark contrast to Indore’s achievements in waste management.
In January, the city claimed the Swachh Survekshan Award as India’s cleanest city for the seventh consecutive year.
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