Relentless bursting of firecrackers, flouting the Supreme Court-mandated time slots, blanketed Delhi in toxic haze on Tuesday a day after Diwali, with the air quality index (AQI) worsening to the ‘severe’ category. According to data, the average air quality index (AQI) stood at 451 at 7 am – 1.8x above the national average – as pollution levels worsened amid festive celebrations.
On Diwali night, the AQI plunged into the “very poor” category. The satellite cities of Noida and Gurgaon were no better off, with the AQI at 407 and 402 respectively on Tuesday morning.
Last year, the overall air quality of Delhi after Diwali was recorded in the ‘very poor’ category. The AQI stood at 359.
Several monitoring stations were in the red zone, with locations like Wazirpur (435), Dwarka (422), Ashok Vihar (445), and Anand Vihar (440) logging ‘severe’ AQI levels.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 to 100 “satisfactory”, 101 to 200 “moderate”, 201 to 300 “poor”, 301 to 400 “very poor”, and 401 to 500 “severe”.
Since 2020, there was a ban on the bursting of crackers on Diwali in the national capital, which battles pollution each winter.
This year, the Supreme Court permitted green crackers in the Delhi-NCR region from October 18 to 20, allowing them only during two time slots, from 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm. However, none adhered to the rules as crackers went off well before and after the designated slots.
Experts have warned that bursting of green crackers, especially when combined with unfavorable weather conditions, are no less toxic.
The Delhi Fire Services received 269 emergency calls on Diwali night, PTI reported. However, no major accidents, including loss of life or major injuries, were reported.
SMOGGY CONDITIONS TO PERSIST
Last week, amid deteriorating air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) enforced stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which includes intensified dust control, expansion of public transport services, and restrictions on diesel generator sets.
Authorities in Delhi-NCR have already begun daily mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling on roads.
The weather department said that due to the absence of strong winds, smoggy conditions were likely to persist. On Tuesday, partly cloudy skies are expected in several areas during the morning hours.
The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to remain between 31–33 degrees and 20–22 degrees, respectively. The minimum temperature is expected to be 1–3 degrees above normal, while the maximum temperature will stay close to the seasonal average.
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