Diwali leaves city breathless

Diwali leaves city breathless
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: Diwali dhoom is over. But don’t take a deep breath. For the air pollution levels have risen during this festival weekend .
You might not see the smoke, but are sure to feel the lack of fresh air. The multitute of colourful fireworks and variety of loud crackers have left the city breathless. The respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) has increased by 36%, sulphur di oxide (SO2) by 27% and nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 4.2 %.
The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has been monitoring the air and noise pollution levels at
the City railway station and at the Basaveshwaranagar KSPCB premises. Along with RSPM, SO2 and NOx, carbon monoxide (CO) has also increased by 1.9 %.
In residential areas the noise level has increased by 33% as compared to normal days.
In some areas like the City railway station, the nitrogen oxide levels have decreased by as much as 28%. This is because there is not much of vehicular emission during the festival as it is a holiday. The KSPCB is analyzing the pollution data from the rest of the city and will release it soon.
NORMAL, DIWALI DAY
RESPIRABLE SUSPENDED PARTICULATE MATTER: 45.5 micrometre cubed, 62 micrometre cubed
SULPHUR DIOXIDE: 9.4 micrometre cubed, 12 micrometre cubed
NITROGEN OXIDE: 35 micrometre cubed, 36.5 micrometre cubed
NOISE: 67 decibels, 90 decibels