Chennai’s air quality deteriorates to ‘poor’ the morning after Deepavali

Air quality in most parts of Chennai deteriorated due to continuous bursting of fireworks, as part of Deepavali celebrations. A scene at Guindy.

Chennai’s air quality deteriorated sharply after Deepavali celebrations as the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) slipped to the ‘poor’ category at 213 on the morning of November 9, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app.

The deterioration followed a night of intense firecracker bursting, which caused dense smoke and reduced visibility across several parts of the city after 8 p.m. on Sunday (November 8, 2026).

Station-wise data from the CPCB and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), as of 9 a.m. on Monday (November 9, 2026), showed that Manali Village recorded the highest AQI at 296, followed by Arumbakkam at 265, Kodungaiyur at 215, Royapuram at 184 and Velachery Residential Area at 142.

Only seven of Chennai’s nine air quality monitoring stations are currently relaying data. The monitoring stations at Ennore and Alandur are not operational, limiting the availability of official air quality data from these locations.

On Sunday night, the seven operational monitoring stations had recorded a calculated average AQI of 178 at 10 p.m., according to TNPCB data. Royapuram recorded the highest reading at 246, falling in the ‘Poor’ category, followed by Arumbakkam at 189, Manali Village at 183, Manali at 182, Kodungaiyur at 177, Perungudi at 173 and Velachery at 94.

While the official city average remained in the ‘Moderate’ category, residents reported poor visibility due to the accumulation of firecracker smoke.

Meanwhile, private air quality monitors, however, indicated considerably higher pollution levels during the peak hours of celebrations. K. Srikanth, a weather blogger who runs Chennaiyil Oru Mazhai Kaalam (Chennai Rains), in a post on X, said the outdoor air quality sensor installed at his residence recorded an AQI of around 1,000 for nearly four hours between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunday.

“The concentrated bursting of crackers, partially due to the rule and trying to burst between spells of rain, have made it worse. This morning, at 7 a.m., the AQI has come down since midnight and is hovering around the 200 mark,” he said in the post.

He said pollution levels could remain elevated over the next few days as northerly winds persist. A shift to easterly winds, which bring in air from the Bay of Bengal, is expected to aid the dispersal of pollutants and improve air quality.

Aruna, a resident of Valasaravakkam, said the designated window for bursting crackers was too short and too early for families to participate in the celebrations.

“The window for bursting crackers was too short and too early, especially since there are rituals associated with Diwali for many families. The timings should have been announced well in advance, and the practicality of the time window should have been considered. A slot between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. would have been more convenient, as families need time to get ready. Women are usually occupied with cooking and other preparations and can only join in after 10 a.m. There was also no proper supervision or enforcement of the prescribed timings,” she said.

Vaishnavi, another resident said, the situation was worse in residential communities because of the cramped spaces, which prevented smoke from dispersing. Visibility was so poor at one point that residents could barely see one another. They suggested that the government issue advance advisories to residential communities on the restricted hours for bursting crackers, noting that the volume of crackers burst between 7.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. on Sunday had resulted in overwhelming levels of smoke and waste.

air pollution / environmental pollution / Chennai / Deepavali