Bhopal: The Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city transitioned from moderate to very poor on Diwali night. Continuous fireworks led to an AQI reading of 150-170 at around 10 pm, deteriorating further to 329 (Very Poor) by 2 am. Meanwhile, Singrauli emerged as the most polluted city in the state, recording an AQI of 377 around midnight.
In Bhopal, the AQI remained moderate in the afternoon but gradually escalated across all areas of the city. On Sunday morning, the AQI was around 150. Over the past 10 days, the city’s AQI has consistently fallen into the poor category. On November 7, a reading of AQI 318 was recorded.
Other cities also experience poor air quality
Additionally, other cities such as Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain, Betul, Ratlam, and Dewas also experienced poor air quality, with AQI readings ranging from 200 to approximately 377. Experts caution that if wind velocity remains stable, pollution levels could increase further on Sunday.
Environmental specialists explain that AQI typically rises during the cold season. In colder weather, harmful gases emitted from vehicles struggle to disperse and instead linger in the atmosphere. As winter progresses, these gases and dust particles persist in the air for longer periods, leading to an increase in AQI.