Bengaluru experienced a significant decline in air quality for the second consecutive night, coinciding with the Deepavali festivities marked by firecracker use. The Central Pollution Control Board’s dashboard indicated a sharp rise in PM2.5 and PM10 levels at various monitoring stations, including Jayanagar 5th Block, Hebbal, Jigani, Kasturinagar, Peenya, RV College of Engineering (Mailasandra), Shivapura (Peenya), Silk Board, BTM Layout, Bapuji Nagar, and Hombegowda Nagar.
Particularly concerning is the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at BTM Layout, which reached 185 at 9 PM—a staggering 85-point increase from the previous Friday and significantly up from a peak of 143 the day before. Both PM2.5 and PM10 particles are notorious for causing respiratory issues, with PM2.5 being the more harmful of the two.
Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) levels also spiked during the night hours. On Thursday, SO2 levels at BTM Layout peaked at 40 micrograms per cubic meter, averaging 19. In contrast, on October 24, the maximum recorded was only 10 micrograms per cubic meter, with an average of six.
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