People burst firecrackers during Deepavali celebrations in Bengaluru on October 21, 2025. | Photo credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
During the three days of Deepavali celebrations between October 20 and 22, Bengaluru’s air quality was 44% better than the previous year.
According to Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) data, the three-day average air quality index (AQI) was 83 compared to 120 in 2024 with a 44% drop in air pollution.
Of the 11 monitoring stations in the city, only one in Saneguruvanahalli recorded an increase in AQI compared to the previous year. Saneguruvanahalli station recorded an AQI of 84 this year compared to 82 last year, an increase of 2%. Hebbal station recorded an AQI of 66 this year, a 179% drop compared to 185 last year, similarly NIMHANS, Jigani and Peenya stations also recorded a drop of 62%, 60% and 59% respectively.
Fasting and for Deepavali
The AQI data of the days before Deepavali versus Deepavali also showed an interesting trend. While the AQI on the day before Deepavali (October 13) was 93, the three-day average AQI for October 20-22 was 88, an improvement of 5%.
bengaluru On the first day of the festivities on October 20, the average AQI reading was 77 and on the second day it rose to 94 — an 18% increase. The third day (October 22) saw a drop of 31%, with an AQI of 72.
In the remaining 28 monitoring stations across Karnataka, this year’s average AQI was 56 compared to 73 last year, an improvement of 29%.
In Bidar, AQI increased by 38%, Belagavi by 11%, Bagalkot by 9% and Kodagu by 4%. Davanagere and Mysuru saw an improvement of 123% and 122% respectively compared to last year.
A KSPCB official credited the improvement in Bengaluru’s air quality during the awareness festivities of selling and bursting green fire crackers.
The official added that rainfall also contributed to the decrease in air pollution.
“Rain was the main contributor, due to the presence of moisture in the atmosphere, pollution levels were low. Besides, the bursting of boxes itself does not contribute to air pollution. There was also less vehicular movement within the city during the three days of festivities,” the official added.
High noise level
Although the air quality in Bengaluru improved during the festivities, the noise level was quite high due to the bursting of crackers.
According to ambient noise monitoring data from manual ambient noise monitoring stations in Sarjapur, Bengaluru, the average noise level was 90.4 decibels (dB) over three days, an increase of 11% compared to pre-Deepavali values. In Peenya and Yelahanka, the noise level was 72.88 dB and 79.72 dB with an increase of 42% and 24% respectively.
Published – 24 October 2025 15:53 IST
