The UPPCB recorded noise levels at as many as eight locations in the city on November 5 and November 11 (Diwali day) during the festive season. Railway Road area, with an average decibel count of 80.4 decibels (dB) on Diwali, was the noisiest in the city. Interestingly, this year's average noise level was 0.1 dB lower than the highest noise level recorded in 2014 at Begum Bridge area (80.5 dB).

These readings were taken from 6 pm to midnight. "Considering how aware people have become about burning firecrackers, we were expecting low air pollution as well as noise pollution this year. However, noise levels dipped only by 0.1 dB this year and air pollution levels increased quite considerably," said BB Awasthi, Meerut region head, UPPCB.

The other noisy areas included Thapar Nagar (75.9 dB), Shastri Nagar (75.9 dB), Pallavpuram-I (73.9 dB) and Collectorate area (72.4 dB). The only area which recorded noise levels lower than an average of 60 dB on Diwali was Cantt Hospital area (52.5 dB).

Meanwhile, the level of pollutants in the air has risen. The UPPCB recorded the ambient air quality on November 5 and November 11. The data shows that the level of particulate matter (PM) in the air shot up on Diwali day. PM 10 was recorded at 162.6 microgram per cubic metre in Kesarganj, which is much higher than the permissible limit of 100 microgram per cubic metre. Last year, the PM 10 values were recorded at 154.4 microgram per cubic metre.

Moreover, levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) have also risen. The SO2 levels on Diwali was recorded as 12.7 microgram per cubic metre, compared to 11.4 microgram per cubic metre last year. Similarly, NO2 levels were recorded at 59.2 microgram per cubic metre, higher than the last year's level of 54.3 microgram per cubic metre.

"The air quality data of these locations indicates sudden rise of PM10 due to firecracker bursting and heavy vehicular traffic," said Awasthi.