Kolkata's air quality plummets to 'poor' levels on Diwali night
On Diwali night 2025, Kolkata's air quality took a serious hit—AQI soared above 300 in spots like Victoria Memorial and Jadavpur, landing in the 'poor' range.
This spike happened between 9pm and 1am even though firecrackers were officially restricted.
Daytime air was a bit better, with some help from water sprinkling by local authorities.
Hospitals report rise in breathing, heart problems
Uncontrolled firecracker use after hours fueled the pollution surge, especially in areas like Chandni Chowk and Ballygunge.
Hospitals saw a 15-20% jump in breathing and heart problems, mainly among asthma patients and older people.
Environmentalists are now pushing for tighter rules—like lowering firecracker noise limits—to help protect public health during festivals.
The uneven AQI across neighborhoods also shows how tough it is to balance festive fun with cleaner air.