Hyderabad: As firecrackers lit up the sky on Deepawali day across Hyderabad, the city’s air quality slipped to extremely hazardous levels.

On October 20, the city recorded an air quality index (AQI), measured through PM2.5 concentration, from moderate to severely unhealthy within an hour after 7 pm, as easterly winds carried thick smoke and particulate matter across neighbourhoods, The Hindu reported.

Areas such as Sanathnagar, Ameerpet, Attapur, Kukatpally, Jubilee Hills and nearby localities were enveloped in haze and a strong sulphuric odour as fireworks intensified. By 9 pm, pollution levels had soared, with Kukatpally recording a PM 2.5 level of 945, exceeding the hazardous limit of 301.

Somajiguda reported 467, Secunderabad 362 and Vittal Rao Nagar 511, while most other sensors

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