The rains may have been a dampener for those marking Deepavali with a light and sound show with firecrackers, but for those hoping for lower pollution, the celebrations were apparent in the air.

As per data gathered by Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSCPB), which monitors the annual spike during the ‘festival of lights’ with some anxiety, the quality of air was better than even in the days preceding the festival.

In fact, the recordings show that during the three days of Deepavali (November 10-12), the air pollution – measured in sulphur dioxide (SO{-2}), Nitrous dioxide (NO{-2}) and dust (Particulate Matter 10 or PM 10) – was, on average, lower than the permissible limit, which is a rarity for a city that is choking in vehicular pollution and construction dust.

“While there are a lot of factors, rain has played a major role. The downpour has seen pollutants being washed away,” says S. Nandakumar, Chief Environment Officer, KSPCB.

The three main days of Deepavali remained overcast, cold and gloomy, with the city seeing 69.7 mm of rain (or, more than the average November rain) in this period. The lower firecracker sales in the city correlate to the rains as well as the increased awareness in celebrating the festival in an eco-friendly manner, said officials.

KSPCB also notes that industrial areas (Whitefield, Yelahanka and Peenya) recorded a drastic fall in pollution levels due to holidays while major roads (Hosur Road, Mysuru road) also saw a reduction in pollution as many cars were off the roads during the festivities.

However, officials note that market areas and residential areas on the fringes of Outer Ring Road saw a spike in dust. “A large number of people go to K.R. Market, for instance, for the festivities. Car movement and truck movement increases during this time…We have also noticed that in many residential areas (particularly, Khajisonnanahalli, that is beyond Whitefield), the pollution is caused due to rapid urbanisation,” said an official.