CHENNAI: Residents of Chennai woke up on Wednesday to a thick blanket of smog obscuring the city, a direct result of traditional bonfires lit for the Bhogi festival.
The significant reduction in air quality and visibility raised immediate health concerns and disrupted morning travel.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) reported severely hampered visibility, particularly at Chennai International Airport.
At 7 am, horizontal visibility was reduced to just 300 meters due to surface-level smoke. While conditions improved slightly through the morning—reaching 600 meters by 9 am—the smog layer posed a persistent challenge.
The primary cause was the widespread burning of discarded household items, including plastic, as part of Bhogi customs preceding the Pongal festival. This practice led to a sharp decline in air quality across the capital.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) readings at 9 am reflected the deterioration, with several areas recording Air Quality Index (AQI) levels above 100, a threshold considered unhealthy for sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, and those with respiratory or cardiac conditions. Key readings included: Manali (168), Kodungaiyur (157), Perungudi (122), Velachery (83) and Arumbakkam (128).
Motorists faced difficult conditions as the bonfire smoke mingled with morning fog, creating dense haze patches in numerous neighbourhoods. Authorities continue to monitor the situation, advising caution for vulnerable residents and those travelling.
Also, in a significant boost to the city's environmental conservation efforts, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) successfully collected and disposed of 154.17 metric tonnes of unused items during a three-day special drive conducted for the Bhogi festival.
The initiative, which ran from January 12 to January 14, was part of the Corporation's "Smokeless Bhogi" campaign. The drive aimed to prevent the traditional but hazardous practice of burning old materials, which typically causes a spike in air pollution levels in the Chennai Corporation limits.
The cleanliness workers were tasked with disposal of old clothes and rags, discarded tyres and rubber tubes, plastic and paper waste, cardboard and wood scrap and electronic and metal waste. The collection drive saw varying levels of participation across the city's fifteen zones.
Tiruvottiyur topped the list with a massive 25.43 metric tonnes, followed closely by Madhavaram at 24.89 metric tonnes.