📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / JSL595
Weather
Patna’s Air Quality Deteriorates Post-Diwali as AQI Surpasses 200 in Multiple Areas
✍️ Amar Ujala · Bihar
🗓 08 Nov 2026, 10:31 AM
👁 15
Air‑quality monitors recorded AQI levels above 200 in several parts of Patna after Diwali, prompting health warnings.
Air‑quality data collected in the days following Diwali indicate a sharp rise in pollutant concentrations across Patna. Monitoring stations in the capital reported that the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed the 200 mark in a number of localities, a level classified as ‘very unhealthy’ by national standards.
The surge follows the extensive use of firecrackers during the festival, a pattern that has previously led to spikes in particulate matter. Comparisons with last year’s post‑Diwali readings show a similar, if not more pronounced, deterioration, reinforcing concerns among health officials.
While the exact neighbourhood with the highest reading has not been disclosed, authorities confirmed that one area recorded the peak AQI among the affected zones. The state pollution control board has urged residents to limit outdoor activities, especially vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.
The board also announced that additional mobile monitoring units will be deployed for the remainder of the week to track further changes and to guide any necessary mitigation measures.
The surge follows the extensive use of firecrackers during the festival, a pattern that has previously led to spikes in particulate matter. Comparisons with last year’s post‑Diwali readings show a similar, if not more pronounced, deterioration, reinforcing concerns among health officials.
While the exact neighbourhood with the highest reading has not been disclosed, authorities confirmed that one area recorded the peak AQI among the affected zones. The state pollution control board has urged residents to limit outdoor activities, especially vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.
The board also announced that additional mobile monitoring units will be deployed for the remainder of the week to track further changes and to guide any necessary mitigation measures.