Despite 'Poor' AQI, Dehradun Sees Relief In Diwali Pollution Compared To Last Year; Here's Why

Despite the enthusiastic celebration of Diwali with firecrackers in Dehradun, the city showed some restraint, resulting in air pollution levels that were lower than the previous year. While the air quality on Diwali night did enter the 'poor' category, the overall situation was seen as a relief.

The regional office of the Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB) began monitoring air quality in Dehradun, Rishikesh, and Tehri on October 13, and this monitoring will continue until October 27.

Diwali Day AQI (2025)

Ghantaghar: The AQI was recorded at 254.

Nehru Colony: The AQI in this residential area was 230.

Rishikesh: The AQI was 135, remaining in the 'moderate' category. 

Tehri: The situation was even better, with the AQI contained at 66 ('satisfactory').

Comparison And Trends

Air quality in Dehradun was in the 'moderate' category before Diwali and continued this trend until Chhoti Diwali. However, a sudden spike occurred on Badi Diwali, pushing the AQI past the 200 mark into the 'poor' category.

Despite this spike, the pollution levels were a significant improvement from 2024:

• The AQI at Ghantaghar showed a decrease of 34 points.
• The AQI at Nehru Colony saw a reduction of 13 points.
• Rishikesh also improved, with its AQI 38 points lower than the previous Diwali.

AQI on Diwali Day (Multi-Year Comparison)

AQI in Dehradun Leading Up to Diwali (2025)

Pollution Control Measures

Amit Pokhriyal, Regional Officer of the Pollution Control Board, stated that drones were used to spray water at nine locations in Dehradun (including Ghantaghar, ISBT, and Rajpur Road) and four sites in Rishikesh. This was done to control air pollution and remove pollutant particles from the atmosphere. Drones were flown regularly wherever excessive smoke was visible, which was a major reason pollutants did not linger for long.

Factors For Lower Pollution

Confusion over the main day of the Diwali festival contributed to the lower pollution levels on Monday. With many believing Diwali was on both Monday and Tuesday, some families saved a portion of their firecrackers to be set off on Tuesday. This resulted in relatively fewer firecrackers being burst on Monday.

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The bursting of firecrackers continued on Tuesday, and it is expected that Dehradun's air pollution on Tuesday could also exceed the 'moderate' level. Data for this will be released on Wednesday.

Air Quality According To AQI

0 to 50: Good

51 to 100: Satisfactory

101 to 200: Moderate

201 to 300: Poor

301 to 400: Very Poor

401 and above: Severe

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