PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) will use drones to spray water in sensitive areas of Dehradun to help improve the city’s air quality after Deepawali. The board has finalised its plan to control pollution during the festival season, a time when the air quality often deteriorates due to widespread use of firecrackers, the UKPCB member secretary Parag Madhukar Dhakate said. He informed that the board has prepared a joint strategy with the departments concerned including the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD), the Dehradun district administration and the police to ensure effective implementation of pollution control measures. He said that four monitoring stations have been set up in sensitive zones to assess and record air quality levels before and after the festival.
The data from these stations will help the authorities take timely action in areas where pollution levels rise sharply. He said that the board has also decided to use drones for spraying water in these sensitive areas after Deepawali. The purpose of this measure is to suppress dust particles and reduce the concentration of pollutants in the air. The initiative comes in response to previous years’ data, which showed a spike in pollution levels during and after the festival.
In 2024, Dehradun’s Air Quality Index (AQI) during Deepawali reached 288, with PM10 levels recorded at 254.39 and PM2.5 levels at 116.50. The PM is particulate matter which are tiny solid or liquid particles suspended in the air that can be harmful when inhaled. Although there was no major increase compared to 2023, these numbers indicate a decline in air quality during the celebrations.
The UKPCB aims to maintain or improve the air quality this year through proactive monitoring and coordination with local bodies. Dhakate said that as per the directions of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), officials across Uttarakhand have been instructed to ensure that firecrackers are not burst near schools, hospitals and other public institutions. The board has also intensified awareness campaigns encouraging people to celebrate Deepawali in an environmentally responsible manner, he added.
He also said that Uttarakhand has shown consistent improvement in national air quality rankings and the UKPCB plans to sustain that progress this time as well. The board has expressed confidence that coordinated efforts between agencies and public cooperation will help make this year’s Deepawali cleaner and safer for residents.
