A ban on firecrackers during Thursday’s Diwali celebrations caused Delhi’s air quality to worsen this morning.
Residents disregarded the rules until late at night as the ceaseless firecracker explosions produced excessive noise pollution and covered the nation’s capital in thick smoke.
According to the real-time data provided by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) soared to 359 at 6:30 am, which falls under the “very poor” category. The AQI on the morning of Diwali was at 328.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, 401 and 450 severe, and above 450 severe-plus.
#WATCH | Delhi: A thin layer of smog engulfs the National Capital as the air quality continues to deteriorate.
— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2024
As per the CPCB, the AQI of the area is 317, in the 'very poor' category.
(Visuals from India Gate) pic.twitter.com/nKvFMOPZrd
The AQI level in most of the 40 monitoring stations in the city remained in the “very poor” category with Anand Vihar and RK Puram reporting the worst air quality index of 395.
Other locations with “very poor” air quality included Burari Crossing (394), Sonia Vihar (392), Punjabi Bagh (391), North Campus (390), Bawana (388), Jahangirpuri (387), Rohini (385), Ashok Vihar (384), and Nehru Nagar (381).
The national capital’s air quality is expected to be in the “very poor” category (AQI 300 to 400) on Friday, according to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), located in Pune.
Gopal Rai, the environment minister for Delhi, declared on Diwali eve that 377 teams had been established to enforce the city’s firecracker prohibition. All deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) were directed to establish specialized teams to make sure that firecrackers in their districts don’t burst, according to a top Delhi Police officer.
Delhi experienced its highest air quality in eight years on Diwali day last year, with an average AQI of 218. The “festival of lights” was held on November 12 of last year.
The increase in pollution levels in Delhi is also frequently attributed to stubble burning or farm fires in nearby Haryana and Punjab, particularly during the post-harvest months of October and November.
The capital has been breathing hazardous air quality for the past few weeks, prompting authorities to impose stage two of the GRAP or the Graded Response Action Plan last week.
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Source: NDTV
