Chennai air quality 'poor' post-Diwali, police file over 300 cases for cracker regulation violation

People commute in their vehicles along a road amid smoggy conditions on the occasion of Diwali. Credit: AFP Photo

A day after the Deepavali celebrations, the air quality in the city was 'poor', according to official figures.

The city police registered 354 cases regarding various violations, including the time limit allowed for bursting crackers.

According to the figures uploaded on the website of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) as of noon, most of the observation points in the city and its surroundings generally had 'poor' air quality.

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PM 2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter) was the main pollutant.

Meanwhile, the city police said it has registered 271 cases regarding violation of time-limits and 69 for bursting crackers with high decibel.

A City Police release said 14 cases were filed for selling fireworks in violation of government guidelines.

The cases were booked between October 23 and 25. The state government had earlier mandated bursting of crackers between 6-7 am and 7-8 pm on Deepavali day, in lines with a Supreme Court direction.

The festival was celebrated on Monday.