New Delhi, the capital of India, experienced a severe decline in air quality on Tuesday, reaching hazardous levels, as reported by the Swiss group IQAir. This deterioration is partly attributed to the use of firecrackers during Diwali, the festival of lights.
Last week, India’s Supreme Court eased restrictions on firecrackers in the city, allowing “green crackers” to be used for three hours each on Sunday and Monday. However, Reuters reported seeing firecrackers being used outside these permitted times.
Emissions from these green crackers are 30% to 50% less than those from traditional fireworks.
IQAir recorded a level of 442 for New Delhi, ranking it as the world’s most polluted major city. The PM 2.5 concentration was over 59 times the WHO’s recommended annual limit.
PM 2.5 consists of particles that are 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter, capable of entering the lungs and causing serious health issues.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India also marked the city’s air quality as “very poor” with an AQI of 350, where an AQI of 0-50 is deemed good.
Predictions indicate no immediate improvement, with air quality expected to stay in the “Very Poor to Poor” category and AQI levels between 201 and 400, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Each winter, Delhi and its surrounding areas face dense smog due to trapped construction dust, vehicle emissions, and smoke from farm fires, affecting many of the 20 million residents with respiratory issues.
In response, past measures have included school closures, halts on construction, and vehicle restrictions.
India is not alone in this struggle; neighboring South Asian countries also face air pollution challenges.
In Pakistan’s Punjab province, adjacent to India, the government has launched an ’emergency plan’ to combat pollution, addressing farm fires and smoke-emitting vehicles, and utilizing anti-smog guns in polluted regions.
In Lahore, the capital of Punjab, the air quality reading was 234, the second highest globally, as per IQAir data.
“The current major concern is air pollution coming from Indian Punjab and other areas, impacting air quality in various parts of Pakistani Punjab,” stated Sajid Bashir, spokesperson for Punjab’s Environment Protection Agency.
