NAVVNEET DUBEY
Jammu: The Air Quality Index (AQI) rose sharply in Jammu by Diwali night and the following day reflecting the impact of firecracker use during celebrations. Jammu recorded a moderate AQI of 196 on Diwali day. The air quality of Jammu, already toxic due to dust particles emanating from the construction of Expressway, Kunjwani flyover, Bhagwati Nagar flyover and other roads, has reached a lethal level with the Diwali fireworks.
On Tuesday, the air quality index of Jammu was recorded at 196, which is very dangerous for children, elderly and sick people. Normally the Air Quality Index in Jammu used to be around 100, which due to the said construction work had reached around 120 to 140 and now it has been recorded at 196. To assess the level of air pollution in Jammu, manual readings are taken mainly at three places, Maulana Azad Stadium, Narwal and Bari Brahmana and every year, data is collected by the Jammu and Kashmir State Pollution Control Committee a day before and a day after Diwali.
According to the Clean Air Survey 2025 report released last month by the Union Environment Ministry, the situation in Srinagar and Jammu is also poor. Srinagar city ranked 21st in this report, while Jammu city ranked 22nd. The survey report categorized cities based on the 2011 census.
Srinagar was categorized as having a population of over one million, while Jammu fell into the category of cities with a population of three to ten lakh. However, in 2023, Srinagar was ranked fourth and Jammu was ranked 38th. In the year 2024, the data of both the cities could not be sent on time due to which the ranking was not done and this year Srinagar slipped to 21st position in the clean air survey while Jammu’s ranking improved compared to 2013.
According to experts, various development works going on in Jammu city are the main reason for the increase in dust particles in the air. During construction work, construction material also remains on the roads which often gets released into the air due to the movement of vehicles and this dust particle becomes the main cause of air pollution. The impact of Diwali fireworks will settle down within a few days, they said, and added, “Air pollution levels also rise significantly during winter due to smog and fog that increases the PM 10 levels.”
