Diwali Fireworks: A Cloud of Trouble Over Agartala

Agartala, in Northeast India, faced a serious air quality issue during Diwali. The problem was studied over three years, from 2018 to 2020. Researchers checked the air for five days around Diwali. They started two days before, looked at the day of Diwali, and then two days after. The air got much worse after Diwali. Tiny harmful particles, called particulate matter, shot up by 17% to 159%. Other nasty gases like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide also changed a lot. Some went down, but others went up by as much as 86% and 96%.The weather was not helping. The wind was slow, and the air was stuck. This meant the pollution had nowhere to go. The worst day in 2020 had tiny particles 4 to 18 times higher than what the World Health Organization says is safe. The fireworks left a mark. Fourteen different elements were found in the air. Silver went up the most, followed by lead and chromium. These are all linked to fireworks. The air was not just dirty; it was dangerous. The risk to health was too high. The chance of getting sick from non-cancer causes was over the safe limit. The risk of cancer was also higher than it should be. This was mostly because of chromium and lead. The air quality went from "Satisfactory" to "Moderate. " The tiny particles were the main problem.