Diwali Festival Research Articles

Carbonaceous aerosol emissions from secondary lighting sources: Emission factors and optical properties

India is shifting towards cleaner residential fuels, but this transition does not fully address household lighting challenges. Power disruptions, especially in rural areas, lead to the use of secondary lighting sources such as kerosene lamps, edible oil lamps, and candles. Our previous work identified kerosene wick and hurricane lamps as major secondary lighting sources in Indian households. This study presents the emission factors (EF) and optical properties of carbonaceous aerosols from five major secondary lighting devices in India, measured using a laboratory extractor hood system. Dominant secondary lighting devices, such as simple wick lamps (61.4 ± 9.8 g kg⁻1) and hurricane lamps (17.2 ± 4.8 g kg⁻1), exhibit higher elemental carbon (EC) EFs than typical residential biomass burning. Sesame oil lamps, primarily used in India during the Diwali festival, also have significant EC emission potential, with an EC EF of 71.6 ± 16.9 g kg⁻1. The low absorption Angstrom exponent (AAE) of ∼1 at near-UV wavelengths indicates a dominance of black carbon (BC) and negligible brown carbon absorption, corroborated by very low organic carbon concentrations. India-wide EC emissions (12.5 Gg year⁻1) from residential kerosene lighting show a higher (∼50%) contribution from eastern India. Additionally, the use of oil lamps during the Diwali festival could emit ∼3 Gg of EC in two days, with a potential reduction of ∼90% if wax-based lamps replace oil lamps. These measured EFs, aerosol optical properties, and estimated emissions will help future studies derive more accurate climate and health impacts from these otherwise overlooked lighting devices.

“Diya”-Related Burn Injuries during the Diwali Period: A 5-Year Retrospective Review from a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

Abstract Background Diwali is a festival that is passionately celebrated by Indians all across the globe. Fire hazards associated with this festival are well known. Our hospital is a tertiary care burn center and caters to a patient population from all over North India. Firecracker burns and diya burns constitute two major causes of burn injuries during the festival of Diwali. Since, diya-related burn injuries have been overlooked in the past, this study was primarily designed to study the demographical data of “diya burns” during Diwali. Materials and Methods The departmental records were analyzed for 3 days around Diwali festival over a period of 5 years from 2018 to 2022. Results The results indicated that almost a third of all Diwali-related burns were caused by diyas (32.5%). A “burning diya left on floor” was the main reason for these injuries. Females were the most affected (70.4%). Additionally, one-third of these patients required admission. Conclusion This study emphasizes the need for raising awareness regarding the proper use of “diyas” to bring down the incidence of such preventable burn injuries.

Analysis of spatial variability of smog episodes over National Capital Delhi during (2013–2017)

Air pollution is a pressing issue in Delhi, with smog occurrences causing reduced visibility and various respiratory problems. A series of severe SMOG (smoke + fog) episodes between 2013 and 2017 with reduced visibility and exceptionally high PM2.5 concentrations have been reported in Delhi especially around Diwali festival (October–November). The Smog of 2016 is referred as Great Smog of Delhi. This study examined remote sensing data from 2013 to 2017 to investigate smog episodes in Delhi during pre-Diwali, post-Diwali, and Diwali. Satellite-derived parameters viz absorbing aerosol index (AAI), aerosol optical depth (AOD), and ozone monitoring instrument (OMI) along with air pollution data and climatic parameters were used to analyze smog episodes. The results showed that during smog episodes, AOD, AAI and PM2.5 concentrations exceeded permissible limits significantly at all stations across Delhi during the Diwali festival. The ground-based observations at different locations across Delhi and satellite data-derived datasets confirmed the severity of smog episodes. The findings indicate that burning of fire crackers coupled with agriculture stubble burning and subsequent transport of the smoke from North Western states through the Capital had a greater impact on deteriorating air quality in Delhi than local pollution, especially during unfavorable weather conditions associated with high humidity and weaker winds. The outcomes highlight the significance of remotely sensed information in identifying smog episodes and their severity in Delhi. It also underlines the necessity for efficient interventions to control air pollution, particularly amid festivals like Diwali.

Atmospheric deposition of microplastics in an urban conglomerate near to the foothills of Indian Himalayas: Investigating the quantity, chemical character, possible sources and transport mechanisms

The global apprehension regarding the ubiquitous presence of microplastics (MPs) and their associated health risks underscore a significant challenge. However, our understanding on the occurrence and characteristics of this emerging class of pollutants in the different environmental compartments remains limited. For instance, despite housing approximately 20–25% of the global population, the evidence of the atmospheric MPs in Indian Subcontinent is exceedingly rare. Hence, we for the first-time present data on the depositional flux, chemical composition, morphological features of the atmospheric MPs collected from the foothills of Indian Himalayas. The total number of MPs for the collected samples ranged from 65 to 752 particles, with an average of 317 ± 171 particles count. The average flux of atmospheric MPs was 2256 ± 1221 particles/m2/day and varied significantly from 462 particles/m2/day to 5346 particles/m2/day. The highest deposition (5346 particles/m2/day) of atmospheric MPs was recorded during the 3rd week of sampling, coinciding with the Diwali festival. Based on the visual characteristics, we determined that the size of MPs ranged from 67 to 2320 μm, with a predominant presence of smaller particles (<1200 μm), primarily composed of fragments and films/sheets. Raman spectroscopy indicated that the analyzed MPs were mainly composed of 4 different polymer types, including PE (46.8 ± 7.2 %), PP (20.9 ± 7.4 %), PS (15.6 ± 3.8 %) and PET (16.7 ± 9.9 %). We further highlighted the extent to which climate variables control the deposition of atmospheric MPs in this urban conglomerate located in the foothills of Himalayas. Our Lagrangian parcel tracking approach showed that the greater frequencies are of local origin and clustered near to the studied region. We also speculate that atmospheric microplastics can be transported along the westerly winds. Though we did not observe any significant relation (p > 0.05) between meteorological parameters and the quantity of atmospheric MPs.

Chemical characterization of road dust during diwali festival in Guwahati city of Assam, Northeast India.

The present study focuses on the elemental analysis of road dust in Guwahati, the largest city of Assam and the largest metropolis of Northeast India during the Diwali festival. Road dust samples were collected on pre-Diwali (PD), the Day after Diwali (DaD), and one week after Diwali (WaD) from two sites (Lankeshwar; LKW and Patharquarry; PTQ). Three composite samples were collected from 3 points at each site. The elemental concentration was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The concentrations of Ba and Sr increased by 1.6 and 1.7 times, respectively, after Diwali. Among other firework-related elements (FREs), Mg, Al, K, and Cu increased at LKW following Diwali (both DaD and WaD), whereas Mg, Al, and K increased in DaD dust at PTQ. The average concentration of Traffic Related Elements (TREs) at PTQ was significantly higher than at LKW (p < 0.05; 75.40mg/kg vs 63.96mg/kg). Cd had the highest enrichment (EF), followed by Ni and Zn. EF for Cd, Ni, and Zn ranged from high to extremely high enrichment. Ni and Cd exhibited moderate contamination (CF). The ecological risk (ER) values for Cd at LKW and PTQ were 54.32 and 56.71, respectively, indicating a moderate ER. Pearson's correlation was performed to study the relationship between elements, while PCA analysis was used to identify the main sources of these elements. Although the health hazard indices presently do not suggest any immediate danger, hazard quotient (HQ) values for ingestion, inhalation, and dermal exposure were higher for children than adults. In children, the contribution of HQing to HI (total risk) was the highest, accounting for more than 65% of all elements. There is no apparent lifetime cancer risk due to road dust exposure through inhalation.

Insights into the Air Quality Indices and its Linkage with Diwali Festival Celebrations in Delhi, India in November 2023: A Case Study

Air pollution, especially during the winter months, is a cause of concern in the capital city of Delhi and adjacent areas. Particulate matter (PM10, PM5.0, and PM2.5) generated from various sources has been implicated in poor air quality and adverse impacts on human health. In the present study, the status of air pollution in Delhi in November 2023 was assessed. Diwali was celebrated on 12th November 2023. The air quality indices (particulate matter) data was retrieved from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) website pre-Diwali and post-Diwali to comprehend the trends. During Diwali, an increase in PM10 in 2023 compared to the year 2022 was noted. A 42% reduction of PM10 was noticed in 2023 compared to the average concentration in 2021. However, a 45% overall increase of PM2.5 was observed compared to 2022. The air quality two days prior to Diwali was poor. Though the Government has taken many steps and various awareness campaigns have been launched, people have not stopped bursting crackers in Delhi. However, to mitigate the pollution levels, certain other initiatives such as community festivities and traditional celebration methods, should be incentivized and propagated

A comparative analysis of fuzzy madm methods and fuzzy inference system in assessing air quality during the diwali festival

A comparative analysis of fuzzy madm methods and fuzzy inference system in assessing air quality during the diwali festival

Evaluation of the Contaminated Area Using an Integrated Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Method

Air pollution affects public health and the environment, creating great concern in developed and developing countries. In India, there are numerous reasons for air pollution, and festivals like Diwali also contribute to air contamination. Determining the polluted region using several air contaminants is significant and should be analyzed carefully. This study aims to analyze the air quality in Tamil Nadu, India, during the Diwali festival from 2019 to 2021, based on multiple air pollutants. The study models the impact of air pollution as a Multi-Attribute Decision-Making (MADM) problem. It introduces a hybrid approach, namely the Analytical Hierarchy Process-Entropy-VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (AHP-Entropy-VIKOR) model, to analyze and rank the areas based on the quality of air. A combined approach of AHP and entropy is employed to determine the weights of multiple air pollutants. The VIKOR approach ranks the areas and identifies the areas with the worst air quality during the festival. The proposed model is validated by performing the Spearman’s rank correlation with two existing MADM methods: Combinative Distance Based Assessment (CODAS) and Weighted Aggregates Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS). Sensitivity analysis is carried out to assess the effects of the priority weights and the dependency of the pollutants in ranking the regions. The highest air pollution level during the festival was seen in Cellisini Colony (2019), Rayapuram (2020), T. Nagar and Triplicane (2021) in their respective year. The results demonstrate the consistency and efficiency of the proposed approach.

Development of end-to-end low-cost IoT system for densely deployed PM monitoring network: an Indian case study

Particulate matter (PM) is considered the primary contributor to air pollution and has severe implications for general health. PM concentration has high spatial variability and thus needs to be monitored locally. Traditional PM monitoring setups are bulky, expensive, and cannot be scaled for dense deployments. This paper argues for a densely deployed network of IoT-enabled PM monitoring devices using low-cost sensors, specifically focusing on PM10 and PM2.5, the most health-impacting particulates. In this work, 49 devices were deployed in a region of the Indian metropolitan city of Hyderabad, of which 43 devices were developed as part of this work, and six devices were taken off the shelf. The low-cost sensors were calibrated for seasonal variations using a precise reference sensor and were particularly adjusted to accurately measure PM10 and PM2.5 levels. A thorough analysis of data collected for 7 months has been presented to establish the need for dense deployment of PM monitoring devices. Different analyses such as mean, variance, spatial interpolation, and correlation have been employed to generate interesting insights about temporal and seasonal variations of PM10 and PM2.5. In addition, event-driven spatio-temporal analysis is done for PM2.5 and PM10 values to understand the impact of the bursting of firecrackers on the evening of the Diwali festival. A web-based dashboard is designed for real-time data visualization.

Is Agri-residue Burning a Menace for Air Quality &amp; Public Health in Delhi, India?

Skies over Delhi become blurred and visibility is significantly reduced and the air is hefty and causes a burning sensation in the eyes. As every year in November, a thick blanket of smog veils Delhi and its surrounding National Capital Region-NCR of India, which constitute the world’s most polluted megacity. According to a senior pulmonologist and member of the WHO commission on global air pollution and health, patients experiencing breathing problems increase by 30-40 percent every year during October-November. But Delhi’s smog wasn’t always this bad in early winter; it started only about 10-15 years ago. Satellite images show high Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), as soon as farmers start burning paddy straw and stubble (agri-residue) in agricultural fields, and air quality severely deteriorates. The agri-residue smoke from agricultural areas surrounding Delhi, combined with urban pollution from vehicles, industry, and fireworks from the Diwali festival, increase pollutants to the severe category. Smoke from farm fires after harvest contributed about ⁓ 26-50% of the PM2.5 (tiny particles that damage lungs and can worsen cardiac ailments) to Delhi’s air in November 2023. The average resident of this megacity is on track to lose ⁓ 8 years of life expectancy if high pollution levels persist (EPIC, 2023). Authorities in this smog-ridden capital, even imposed emergency school closures of 7 to 15 days in 2016, 2017 and 2023 to mitigate health issues in the population, who flooded emergency wards at hospitals.

Assessment of ambient air quality in relation to the burning of firecrackers during the festival of Diwali: A case study of Jodhpur City (India).

The study attempts to examine the impact of firework activities during Diwali Festival on ambient air quality of Jodhpur city. Air quality parameters particulate matter of diameter 10μm (PM10), particulate matter of diameter 2.5μm (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and heavy metals in PM2.5 like Pb, Ni, Ba, Al, As and Sr are monitored at two locations, for 15days, starting from 7days before the festival of Diwali, on the day of the festival (Diwali) and 7days after Diwali. On the occasion of Diwali, it was discovered that the 24-h average levels of various pollutants were significantly elevated compared to regular days preceding the festival. Specifically, at the HBO site, the concentrations were notably increased, with sulfur dioxide (SO2) reaching 5.62 times higher, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at 3 times higher, particulate matter of diameter 10μm (PM10) at 2.35 times higher, and particulate matter of diameter 2.5μm (PM2.5) at 1.01 times higher than the usual levels before Diwali. Similarly, at the PTMM site, there were substantial elevations in pollutant concentrations during Diwali compared to pre-festival days, with SO2 registering 2.53 times higher, NO2 at 2.37 times higher, PM2.5 at 1.9 times higher, and PM10 at 1.57 times higher levels than normal. Concentration of Al, Ba, Sr and Pb at HBO site and Al at PTMM site was highest on Diwali day. Air quality index which was in good category on normal days before Diwali, fell into poor category starting from the day before Diwali and remain in poor category on normal days after Diwali. The result indicates the worsening of ambient air quality during Diwali which can adversely impact the human health in terms of various respiratory complications.

Environmental Assessment of Toxic Gases and Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Monitoring During Fireworks Episodes (Diwali Festival) in Chennai Metropolitan, Southern India

The Indian celebration of lights, Diwali, is very important. This yearly event in October or November involves spectacular fireworks. Sparklers increase PM and harmful chemicals in the environment. It’s no surprise that events affect air quality. This study measured Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM), Particulate Matter (such as PM2.5), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Nitric Oxide (NO), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), and Ozone (O3) in Chennai, a densely populated metropolitan area in Tamil Nadu, India, before, on, and after Diwali. It was to determine how firecrackers affect air quality. Southwest (SW) and south-southwest winds predominate before Diwali. During Diwali, west-northwest and south-southwest wind speeds were highest. The average wind speed is 0.2-2.0 m/s. The average gaseous component concentration decreased pre- and post-Diwali. Wind direction and gaseous component distribution show Diwali sparklers were the main source of toxicity. A novel method measures wind patterns and velocities before, during and after Diwali to determine air quality dynamics. Gaseous component levels dropped significantly after Diwali, exceeding expectations. Firework emissions, meteorology and pollution dispersion were assessed. Public awareness efforts are needed since sparklers with lighting characteristics are the main source of Diwali pollution, according to the report. This new idea encourages sustainable, health-focused cultural events and urban environmental protection through data-driven decision-making.

Assessment of polluted region using an integrated weighting approach and fuzzy VIKOR method

Air pollution exerts a profound impact on both public health and the natural environment. In India, festivals like Diwali also contaminate the air by releasing pollutants into the atmosphere. It is essential to identify the most polluted region by estimating these pollutants. Since air quality assessment involves multiple air pollutants, there may be inherent uncertainty associated with data. This study employs a fuzzy Multi Attribute Decision Making (MADM) framework fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process-Entropy-fuzzy VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (FAHP-Entropy-FVIKOR) to model the impact of air pollution as a decision-making problem to address the uncertainty and assess the air quality during the Diwali festival from 2019 to 2021 in Tamil Nadu, India. An integrated weighting approach is utilised to determine the weights of the air pollutants using a fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process and Entropy methods. Mainly, the fuzzy VIKOR approach is employed to rank the polluted regions. The validation of the proposed model is established through a comparative analysis using Spearman’s rank correlation with two other existing fuzzy MADM methods. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate the influence of priority weights and the interdependence of pollutants in determining regional rankings. The results conclude that a strong positive correlation is attained between the proposed and existing methods and the highest levels of air pollution during the festival period are observed in Gandhi Nagar (2019), Rayapuram (2020), T. Nagar, Sowcarpet and Triplicane (2021) in their respective years. These findings substantiate the consistency and effectiveness of the proposed approach.

From catering for death rituals to establishing a restaurant – the journey of KSN Iyengar Catering Service

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes of this case study are to develop an understanding of informal business practices (IBP) from an economic and a behavioural perspective, identify the pros and cons of IBP and how they can hinder the realization of entrepreneurial aspirations, use the effectuation perspective to understand the entrepreneurial journey of the protagonist and apply the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis and effectuation theory to understand the need for transition from informal to formal business practices. Case overview/synopsis KSN Iyengar Catering Services (KSNICS) had gained popularity for cooking and serving traditional “Iyengar” cuisine during festivals, ceremonies and other auspicious occasions. With the passage of time, KSNICS slowly diversified into offering food carrier services, corporate catering and preparation of sweets/savouries during the Diwali festival. The enterprise managed to sustain itself without additional investments from external sources. KSNICS was managed in an informal manner by the protagonist, Krishna Kumar. After almost 30 years of KSNICS’s existence, in 2021, Kumar felt that they should diversify into the restaurant business by establishing an authentic “Iyengar” restaurant. In spite of the unpredictable market and the challenging times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he had somehow managed to sustain his catering business. However, given the informal methods through which he operated his catering services and in the post-COVID-19 pandemic scenario, would it be prudent on his part to establish a restaurant? Complexity academic level This case study is suitable for post-graduate- and executive-level instruction in courses such as managerial skills, entrepreneurship and human resource management. In managerial skills course, it can be used for applying SWOT analysis from a particular perspective for effective decision-making. In entrepreneurship-related courses, it can be used to introduce aspects such as entrepreneurship orientation, effectuation and decision-making. In organizational behaviour and HR-related courses, it can be used to highlight how employees can be trained and motivated and how businesses can be sustained within the scale, especially during challenging times. Irrespective of the course, the IBP discussion would remain a constant point of reference because that was the context under which the current business was operating. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

The Diwali festival: short-term high effect of fireworks emissions on particulates and their associated empirically calculated health risk assessment at Bhubaneswar city.

This article elucidates the role of the short-term combustion of firecrackers and sparklers as a significant source of atmospheric pollutants that deteriorate ambient air quality and increase health risks during the popular Diwali festival. The study was conducted at Bhubaneswar during the festive celebration in early November 2021 (4th Nov) and late October 2022 (24th Oct) to assess the level of particulates (PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentration) and the relative health risks associated with them. PM2.5 (113.83µg/m3) and PM10 (204.32µg/m3) showed significant rises on D-day at all seven different sites that exceeded the NAAQS in 2021. From 2021 to 2022, an overall decrease in PM2.5 (41%) and PM10 (36%) was observed. On D-day, the total concentration of quantified metals in PM2.5 and PM10 were found to be 4.83µg/m3 5.97µg/m3 (2021) and 5.08µg/m3 5.18µg/m3 (2022) respectively. The AQI during both years (2021-2022) was found to be high for PM2.5 (unhealthy) and PM10 (moderate), but it was markedly goodfor all other pollutants on the scale. The overall population in the study area were under a significant health risk was observed in the overall population as PM surpassed the threshold concentration amid the festivities for consecutive years, with PM2.5 being more potent than PM10. The total excess health risk in 2022 was found to be decreased lower by ~ 88% from 2021 on D-day. But, metal exposure (through inhalation) in children were more compared to the adults for both the years. However, the exposure risk of both children and adults were high in the year 2022 with inhalation of metals like K, Al, Ba, Fe and Ca found in higher concentration and directly emitted from the firecrackers.

Size-segregated aerosol measurements during Diwali festival in an elevated background location

Recent studies in the direction of identifying signatures of aerosol emission from fireworks stressed on the need of simultaneous measurements of mass, number and chemical compositional characteristics. Such an identification is tricky when the measurements are performed in an elevated background environment and/or in presence of an additional wide source term. This work studies the modifications in atmospheric aerosol characteristics due to firework induced emissions in Bathinda city of Punjab, North India. This study presents interpretations based on the results obtained from the measurements performed for 14 days covering the days of Diwali festival, 2021 as well as the baseline database gathered from a year-long campaign to measure mass concentration in different size-ranges. Highest mass concentration for the study duration was observed to be PM10- 382 μg/m3, PM2.5–299 μg/m3, PM1- 240 μg/m3, respectively in the month of November 2021. A clear increase of concentration was noted for Diwali days and the averaged concentration for PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 reached to 445 μg/m3, 363 μg/m3 and 304 μg/m3 on Diwali day, respectively. Number size distribution evolution analysis for the data measured from an optical particle counter (size range: 0.25–1 μm) showed that emissions for Diwali days occurred mostly at night times and in smaller size channels (<0.5 μm). Chemical compositional data of selected samples close to Diwali days was interpreted in terms of factor of increase of mass density of collected particles in different size-ranges. Mass density of elements K, Cl, S, Al, Zn, P, Mn, Pb, Br and Zr in PM1 samples was observed to be higher for Diwali days in comparison to their pre-Diwali levels. Few elements viz. Ba, Sr and Nb were found to be only present in the samples taken during Diwali days. In addition to Ba, Sr and Nb, elements V, Mg, Br and Se were observed to be present in PM2.5 and PM10 samples taken during the Diwali days. This study provides combined ambient aerosol characteristics during Diwali days when the air quality was affected by stubble burning as well.

Measurement and Distribution Pattern of n-alkanes in Size-Segregated Aerosols During Diwali Festival in Delhi, India

Measurement and Distribution Pattern of n-alkanes in Size-Segregated Aerosols During Diwali Festival in Delhi, India

MANAGEMENT OF FIREWORK INJURIES AT AN INDIAN REGIONAL BURNS AND PLASTIC SURGERY UNIT : TEN YEARS' EXPERIENCE

Celebration of various cultural and religious festivals as well as holidays involves use of reworks. Injuries due to reworks is essentially a preventable injury .The aim of this article is to review cases of burns and associated trauma due to reworks at a regional burns and plastic surgery unit in India .A retrospective review was performed in all patients presenting to our centre with burn injuries due to reworks over a period of ten years from March 2012 to March 2022. A Total 463 patients were identied. Cases were studied in terms of patients' demographics, trend of rework injuries throughout the year, mechanism of injuries, anatomical region wise involvement of burn injuries. Conservative and surgical treatment was provided according to the extent of burn injuries. Various treatment given and outcomes of treatment were recorded. Mean duration of hospital stay and recovery time was noted .Most injuries occurred in October and November (around the Diwali festival) Mechanism of injury were mostly ame burns, contact burns and injury from blast force. Most common injuries were sustained to hands, head and neck region and torso.A total of 54 (11.66 %) patients needed surgery. Fireworks can lead to burn injuries, a range of soft tissue injuries, fractures, as well as eye injuries.The severity of rework injuries can effectively by reduced by proper planning which involves preparedness of work force, awareness campaigns and educating public about safety measures.

Study on the Impact of Firecrackers on Atmospheric Pollutants during Diwali Festival in Tamil Nadu, India

The current study focuses on the impact of firecrackers emission on particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and the noise was analyzed on pre, during, and post-Diwali 2022 period (5 days) in a residential area of Tamil Nadu state of India. The findings demonstrated that, for 24-hour mean values of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations over the study period were consistently higher than the NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standard) permitted limit. On the day of Diwali, the mean CO concentration reaches 2.5 mg/m3, exceeding the NAAQSrecommended allowable limit of 2 mg/m3. The CO2 concentration during Diwali day is 1.8 times higher than the pre-Diwali day. In addition, the 24-hour mean concentration of TVOC during pre-Diwali, Diwali, and post-Diwali was found to be 915.21 µg/m³, 1513.52 µg/m³ and 1617.12 µg/m³ respectively which is quite higher than normal days. Furthermore, the average noise level in the study site during pre, during, and post-Diwali was found to be 57.71 dB (A), 75.5 dB (A), and 63.66 dB (A) respectively which were higher than the safer limit on the residential zone. As a result of the widespread usage of firecrackers during Diwali festivities, these pollutants are significantly increased, which may have a negative influence on the general public’s health.

Exploring the Influence of Prime Festivals on Noise Pollution in Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Environmental noise has reached an alarming level and is affecting the exposed population. The noise levels are elevated during the festival season. This study aims to explore the influence of prime festivals on noise levels in an urban area. 18 locations in the Raipur city of Chhattisgarh, India, were selected for conducting the study during the Ganesh Utsav, Dussehra, and Diwali festivals. Study of equivalent noise level (Leq) and other noise parameters Traffic noise index (TNI), Noise Climate (NC), Noise exceeding 10% and (L10) and Noise exceeding 90% of measurement time (L90) were found for all three festivals in the A-weighted decibel scale (dBA). Noise maps from observed levels were prepared using the ArcGIS Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation method. Noise levels ranged from 61.4 to 81.3 dBA during Ganesh Utsav, 63.5 to 79.9 dBA during Dussehra, and 70.1 to 81.2 dBA during the Diwali festival. All the locations recorded above 70 dBA during Diwali, whereas nearly 50 percent of the locations recorded above 70 dBA during Ganesh Utsav and Dussehra festivals. The urgent need to control the noise pollution in the Raipur city of Chhattisgarh by making strict rules is very much needed for making the ambient environment clean, green, and healthy.