Diwali: Hyderabad's air quality hits 'hazardous' levels

India Oct 21, 2025

Hyderabad's air quality hit "hazardous" levels on Monday night during Deepavali celebrations, as firecracker smoke blanketed neighborhoods like Sanathnagar, Ameerpet, and Kukatpally.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) started worsening around 7pm with Kukatpally peaking at a staggering 945 ug/m3 for PM 2.5—over three times the hazardous limit.

Dangerous levels of PM 2.5 recorded in other areas

Other areas like Somajiguda and Vittal Rao Nagar also saw PM 2.5 levels shoot up to 467 and 511 ug/m3.
Even after the fireworks slowed, central Hyderabad stayed above the danger mark (300 ug/m3) until midnight.
By early Monday morning, air quality only slightly improved, remaining hazardous until 2am then improving to the "poor" category by 3am—showing just how long the post-Diwali pollution stuck around.