Kolkata’s and Howrah's air quality deteriorated sharply on Kali Puja night as firecrackers were burst beyond the permissible hours of 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., flouting guidelines issued by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) and police, environmentalists said on Tuesday (October 21, 2025).
Kolkata Police restricts firecracker use, allows only ‘authorised green crackers’ for two hours on Diwali, Chhat Puja
A WBPCB official said while the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 186 at Victoria Memorial in the city, it touched 364 at Belur in Howrah at 10 p.m. on Monday (October 20, 2025).
An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered ‘poor’, 201 to 300 ‘very poor’, and above 300 is classified as ‘severe’.
At Padmapukur, the AQI read 361, while it breached the 252 mark at Ghusuri, both in Howrah district.
