Kolkata wakes up to season’s worst air as New Year fireworks push AQI into ‘very poor’ zone
Times of India | 2 January 2026
Kolkata woke up to the foulest air of the season on the first day of the year as midnight firecracker revelry pushed pollution levels deep into ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ zones at a time when cold air tends to hold pollutants closer to breathing height. The only silver lining was the presence of a breeze that dispersed some of the pollutants and prevented the air from turning worse.
While the scale of fireworks was lower than Diwali, experts said the impact was far more severe due to prevailing winter conditions. Chill causes thermal inversion, a meteorological phenomenon that traps pollutants close to the ground by restricting vertical air movement and preventing their dispersal.
At noon, readings at two air-quality monitoring stations were in ‘very poor’ category (AQI 301–400) and just one level below the ‘severe’ category. The remaining five stations recorded ‘poor’ AQI ( 201–300). Jadavpur, in particular, touched AQI 314, matching pollution levels seen in Delhi at the peak of its recent smog crisis, even as the national capital showed signs of recovery. Salt Lake was not far behind with AQI of 308 while Victoria Memorial came close to breach-ing the ‘very poor’ threshold, recording an AQI of 292.
Barely 24 hours ago, AQI at Jadavpur was 159 and Salt Lake 154, both in the moderate range (AQI 101-200).
A scientist from West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) warned that fireworks during winter are especially dangerous. “During winter, firecracker revelry is suicidal as far as air pollution is concerned. Low ground temperature causes thermal inversion, suppressing vertical wind movement. Wind speed often drops below 2 metres per second, allowing pollutants to accumulate near the surface,” the scientist said. Experts also cautioned that recovery would be slow. With cold conditions expected to persist, pollution from successive days is likely to pile up in the lower atmosphere, worsening air quality.
Environmentalists warned that repeated violations pose serious risks to public health, particularly for children, senior citizens and people with respiratory ailments, and stressed the need for stricter enforcement and greater public awareness in future celebrations.
The night also witnessed rampant violations of noise pollution norms, particularly during the first hour of the New Year. Monitoring data showed noise levels breaching 80 decibels in several residential and silence zones—nearly double the permissible night-time limits.
Jadavpur University, a designated silence zone, recorded noise levels as high as 84.1 dB, while Flora Fountain in a residential area touched 81.5 dB shortly after midnight. Several colleges and educational institutions, classified as silence zones, reported noise levels ranging between 70 and 80 dB. Under existing rules, the permissible night-time noise limit is 45 dB for residential areas and 40 dB for silence zones.
Besides the high-decibel firecrackers, there was rampant use of loudspeakers without sound limiters and DJ music. At Madhyamram’s Deshbandhunagar, Suman Roy’s plea against the use of loudspeakers that was affecting his elderly parents, fell on deaf ears.