📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Sumitsurai
Weather
Buxar in Bihar records hazardous AQI of 441 as Diwali pollution spikes
✍️ The Hawk
🗓 07 Nov 2026, 02:04 PM
👁 15
Air quality in Bihar’s Buxar district has deteriorated to a hazardous level, with the Air Quality Index soaring to 441 ahead of Diwali celebrations.
Monitoring agencies have reported that the Air Quality Index in Buxar, Bihar, has climbed to 441, a value classified as hazardous under national standards. The reading was recorded in the days leading up to the Diwali festival, a period traditionally associated with a surge in atmospheric pollutants.
An AQI of 441 indicates that the concentration of fine particulate matter and other harmful gases is high enough to pose serious health risks, especially for children, the elderly and individuals with respiratory conditions. Medical experts warn that exposure can trigger coughing, shortness of breath, and aggravate asthma.
The spike is attributed to a combination of factors typical for the season, including the burning of firecrackers, increased vehicular traffic and, in some regions, crop residue burning. Authorities have urged residents to limit outdoor activities, keep windows closed, and use masks when venturing outside.
State officials are expected to issue advisories and consider temporary restrictions on firecracker sales to curb further deterioration of air quality before the festival concludes.
An AQI of 441 indicates that the concentration of fine particulate matter and other harmful gases is high enough to pose serious health risks, especially for children, the elderly and individuals with respiratory conditions. Medical experts warn that exposure can trigger coughing, shortness of breath, and aggravate asthma.
The spike is attributed to a combination of factors typical for the season, including the burning of firecrackers, increased vehicular traffic and, in some regions, crop residue burning. Authorities have urged residents to limit outdoor activities, keep windows closed, and use masks when venturing outside.
State officials are expected to issue advisories and consider temporary restrictions on firecracker sales to curb further deterioration of air quality before the festival concludes.