Guwahati AQI Rises to 149, Byrnihat Slips to ‘Poor’ Category
Firecrackers light up the night sky in Guwahati
Guwahati: Air quality in the city worsened after Kali Puja, raising concern for residents as Diwali celebrations were set to continue on Monday evening.Air quality deteriorated across Assam on Monday after extensive firecracker bursting from Sunday evening to early Monday morning, while most other monitored cities in the northeast remained in the good or satisfactory categories.On the Assam side of Byrnihat, the AQI slipped from “satisfactory” to “poor” in 24 hours. The Meghalaya side of the industrial belt, however, recorded an improvement of nearly 20 points and remained in the satisfactory category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.Guwahati’s 24-hour AQI rose 38%, from 108 on Nov 8 to 149 on Nov 9, remaining in the “moderate” category. A week earlier, on Nov 2, the city’s AQI was at or just below 100, the upper limit of the satisfactory band.With Diwali celebrations scheduled for Monday evening, the air quality is expected to deteriorate further.Nagaon’s AQI rose from 54 to 160 and Nalbari’s from 76 to 168, with both entering the moderate category. Particulate matter — fine particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs — was the leading pollutant in Guwahati, Nagaon, Nalbari and Byrnihat.Kohima and Shillong remained in the satisfactory category, while Aizawl recorded good air quality. Agartala, which reported data only for Nov 8, recorded an AQI of 181.On the CPCB scale, “good” (0–50) indicates minimal impact, while “satisfactory” (51–100) may cause minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people. “Moderate” (101–200) may cause discomfort to people with lung or heart disease and asthma, and “poor” (201–300) may cause discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure. “Very poor” (301–400) may lead to respiratory illness with prolonged exposure, while “severe” (401–500) can affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing diseases.
