{
  "id": 19153357,
  "title": "Pune's Air Quality Turns 'Severe' After Diwali, AQI Touches 432",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/punes-air-quality-turns-severe-after-diwali-aqi-touches-432",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T12:21:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/pune/punes-air-quality-turns-severe-after-diwali-aqi-touches-432"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pune experienced a sharp decline in air quality following Diwali, with the citywide Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 432 in the early hours of Monday. This reading placed the city in the severe category. Fireworks, a major contributor to the pollution, led to a spike in particulate matter, with PM2.5 levels reaching as high as 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre at certain monitoring stations, and the average across the city around 800 micrograms per cubic metre. Despite efforts to monitor the situation, poor air quality persisted on Monday, with several monitoring stations continuing to record subpar to extremely poor conditions. The AQI had been at 153 at 4pm on Sunday, rising to 163 by 5pm, 160 by 8pm, and 161 by 9pm before reaching 432 in the early hours of Monday. PM2.5 concentrations were notably higher than during the previous year's Diwali. Areas like Thergaon, Gavalinagar, and Shivajinagar reported AQI readings of 227, 219, and 204 respectively at 10pm on November 8. The system's Sunday readings also showed elevated pollution levels at various locations, with AQI values of 313 at Thergaon, 294 at Park Street in Wakad, 296 at Mhada Colony in Lohegaon, 281 at Gavalinagar, 251 at Katraj Dairy, and 147 at SPPU. Dr Sachin Ghude, a scientist from the IITM forecasting system, warned that continued use of firecrackers on Monday could prolong the severe pollution episode into early Tuesday.",
  "summary": "Pune: Pune’s air quality deteriorated sharply after Diwali celebrations, with the citywide Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 432 in the early hours of Monday, placing it in the severe category. Firecracker emissions contributed to a steep rise in particulate pollution, with PM2.5 concentrations approaching 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre at select monitoring stations and the reported citywide…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}