AQI deteriorates to hazardous levels for few hours in Hyderabad as Deepavali celebrations light up the night

Hyderabad’s aerial prime deteriorated beyond the hazardous threshold connected Monday (October 20, 2025) nighttime arsenic firecrackers were burst crossed the metropolis opening astir 7 p.m. The Air Quality Index (AQI), measured successful presumption of PM 2.5 microns, worsened from mean to unhealthy levels wrong an hr arsenic a stiff easterly upwind carried fume and particulate substance done respective neighbourhoods.

As large bursts and trails of arced fireworks illuminated the nighttime sky, a sulphurous odor hung implicit Sanathnagar, Ameerpet, Attapur, Kukatpally, Jubilee Hills and surrounding areas. By 9 p.m., aerial prime monitors showed alarming readings, with Kukatpally signaling a PM 2.5 level of 945 — acold exceeding the hazardous threshold of 301. Somajiguda registered 467, Secunderabad 362, and Vittal Rao Nagar 511, portion astir sensors crossed the metropolis blinked supra 250, rendering the aerial unsafe for breathing. Even the University of Hyderabad, located connected the city’s outskirts, reported 661 astatine 9 p.m.

By 10 p.m., the sensor astatine Kukatpally logged PM 2.5 astatine 1133 µg/m3 astir 4 times the hazardous levels successful India. At the aforesaid time, the sensors successful astir parts of cardinal Hyderabad measured particulate substance contamination astatine supra 300 mark. Particulate substance contamination is considered highly unsafe owed to the tiny size of the particles that tin beryllium easy inhaled and past absorbed by the body.

The Telangana State Pollution Control Board’s online monitors had gone offline connected Sunday night. When the sensors became operational connected Monday evening, the Sanathnagar sensor showed 252 astatine 8 p.m., peaking astatine 500 by 10 p.m. and remaining astatine that level until midnight. Incidentally, the United States Environment Protection Agency’s standard to measurement PM2.5 maxes retired astatine 500. By 1 a.m., it dropped marginally to 442 and continued to enactment hazardous astatine 315 adjacent astatine 2 a.m., agelong aft the cracker-bursting had ceased. By 3 a.m., the aerial prime improved substantially but inactive remaining successful the mediocre category.