Panaji: Panaji saw its most polluted Diwali day in six years, with an AQI of 133 on Nov 8, the worst since 2020, placing the city in the ‘poor’ category, according to air quality monitoring platform AQI.in. The reading was recorded on Nov 8, raising concerns over the impact of festival-related pollution.That night, the readings peaked at 216, with AQI averaging 133.Diwali has witnessed a worrying rise in air pollution over the years, with AQI climbing from a remarkably clean 16 in 2020 (Nov 14), 60 in 2021 (Nov 4) to 114 in 2022, 98 in 2023 (Nov 12), 94 in 2024 (Oct 31), easing to 87 in 2025 (Oct 20), only to surge to a concerning 133 this year.“Considering the AQI reading of 133 reported in Panaji, we will ask our team to deploy the ambient air quality monitoring van to conduct a more scientific assessment and verify the readings. The conditions could be attributed to emissions from firecrackers burst during Diwali celebrations, but this needs to be verified. We will examine the situation and establish the actual cause of the reported air quality levels,” said Pradip Sarmokadam, chairperson, Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).Goans celebrate Diwali and burn the Narkasur effigies on Naraka Chaturdashi, typically the dawn right before the main Diwali. This year, Narkasur effigies were erected through the night of Nov 7 and burned at dawn on Nov 8, with the main Diwali celebrations following closely.More concerning is the trend reflected in its annual air quality figures, which indicate a substantial deterioration in Panaji’s air quality compared with 2020 levels. The figures show a sharp decline between 2020 and 2022, followed by more gradual deterioration in subsequent years.In an alarming comparison, AQI.in estimated that breathing Panaji’s air was equivalent to smoking three cigarettes a day, or around 90 cigarettes a month.The cigarette-equivalent estimate, attributed to Berkeley Earth, is calculated using the average PM2.5 concentration over the preceding 24 hours and assumes continuous exposure. It is an illustrative measure of pollution exposure, not a literal count of cigarettes smoked or an individual medical risk assessment.AQI.in is an open-source monitoring platform that provides real-time and historical air quality data for cities and locations worldwide.With pollution levels entering the ‘poor’ category, AQI.in recommended several precautions for residents. These include keeping indoor air purifiers switched on, wearing N95 masks outdoors, ensuring car air filters are functioning properly and limiting outdoor exposure, particularly while pollution levels remain elevated.Ahead of the festival, Bombay high court had ordered a strict ban on loudspeakers and sound amplifiers during Narakasur effigy-burning celebrations from midnight on Nov 7 until 6am on Nov 8. However, no restrictions were imposed on firecrackers.
