Noise and Air pollution due to bursting of fire crackers during Deepawali is well known. It is, therefore, necessary to conduct ambient noise and air monitoring during this festival to understand the level of pollution and correlate with the effectiveness of pollution abatement measures. Like every year, Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Board Committees carried out extensive ambient noise and air quality monitoring across the country during Deepawali festival on October 30, 2016. This report is a compilation of ambient noise (321 locations) and ambient air quality (203 locations) data covering 23 States and UTs in the country. The data of previous year have also been incorporated so as to compare with data of previous three years. In general, as compared to last year there was decrease in Noise level at 74 locations in 2016, while increased Noise level was observed at most other locations. Also, as compared to last year, S02, N02, and PM10 levels were
lesser in concentration at 27, 37 and 40 locations respectively. So despite, mass awareness programs being taken up by respective SPCBs/ PCCs, there was increase in levels of pollution in the country during Deepawali days in 2016.