Chennai’s skies went from clear to smoky after this year’s Diwali fireworks.
The city’s air quality index (AQI) jumped to 154 on Tuesday morning, up from 80 the night before. Perungudi posted the highest reading of 217, and neighborhoods like Manali and Velachery followed with AQI levels of 151. Arumbakkam hit 145 and Alandur was at 128.
This spike was still milder than last year’s Diwali, when Valasaravakkam recorded an AQI of 287. Officials say that short rain showers during the festival helped wash away some of the smoke‑laden particles, keeping the numbers lower than 2024.
Meanwhile, city workers hurried to clean up the fireworks debris. By 6 p.m. on Monday, Greater Chennai Corporation teams had removed almost 60 metric tonnes of firecracker waste. Alandur cleared the most, 6.89 tonnes, followed by Perungudi with 6.03 tonnes. More than 6,000 sanitation workers moved overnight to pick up and sort the trash, which was then sent to disposal sites in Gummidipoondi, Kodungaiyur, and Perungudi. Civic officials urged residents to hand over leftover firecracker waste directly to cleanup crews for safe disposal.
The festival also spiked medical traffic. Tamil Nadu’s emergency ambulance service received a 61 % uptick in calls—4,635 calls by 6 p.m. on Monday, including 135 burn injuries linked to firecracker mishaps.
Despite brief rain, people in Tamil Nadu celebrated Diwali with new clothes, sweets, and lights. The festival carried on well into the night, offering a vivid but smoky display for the state’s most anticipated celebration.
Source: ianslive
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