A.P. cities record dip in AQI after Deepavali; Visakhapatnam worst hit

VISAKHAPATNAM People in Andhra Pradesh celebrated Deepavali emphatically with firecrackers illuminating the night skies, leaving the air quality deteriorated and making it harder to breathe on Monday. While all prominent cities in the State recorded “moderate” air quality, ranging between 101 and 200, air in Visakhapatnam and Rajamahendravaram dipped to the “poor” category on Monday, according to the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB). On Deepavali last year, October 20, Visakhapatnam recorded an AQI of 44.

Meanwhile, a hospital in Visakhapatnam received two patients on Deepavali night. A doctor said that one of them came with respiratory failure due to exposure to dense smoke. P.

Krishnaiah, Chairman, APPCB, said the 72 manual and 20 continuous monitoring stations across the State ordinarily record air and noise levels within permitted limits, but the burning of crackers during Deepavali pushed pollution up. The Board said particulate matter exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards on the festival day.