Delhi air quality hits hazardous levels after Diwali fireworks
Air pollution in New Delhi soared to hazardous levels on Tuesday, with the city recording the highest readings worldwide, according to Swiss group IQAir.
The spike is partly attributed to firecrackers used during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Last week, India’s Supreme Court relaxed the city’s firecracker ban, allowing the use of "green crackers" for a maximum of three hours each on Sunday and Monday. However, Reuters reporters observed fireworks being set off outside the permitted times. Emissions from green crackers are 30% to 50% lower than traditional fireworks.
IQAir recorded New Delhi’s air quality index at 442, making it the most polluted major city in the world, with PM 2.5 concentrations more than 59 times the World Health Organization’s annual guideline. PM 2.5 particles, measuring 2.5 microns or less, can penetrate the lungs and increase the risk of severe respiratory and cardiac diseases.
India’s Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) rated the city’s air quality as “very poor,” with an AQI of 350, far above the 0-50 range considered good. The Ministry of Earth Sciences forecast that air quality will remain between “Very Poor” and “Poor” levels in the coming days.
New Delhi and surrounding districts experience thick winter smog as cold, dense air traps vehicle emissions, construction dust, and smoke from agricultural fires, affecting millions of residents. Authorities have previously closed schools, halted construction, and restricted vehicle use to mitigate pollution.
Neighboring Pakistan is also grappling with toxic air. In Punjab province, which borders India, the government has launched an emergency plan targeting farm fires, smoke-emitting vehicles, and deploying anti-smog guns. Lahore’s AQI reached 234, the second highest globally. “Right now, the major issue is the air coming from Indian Punjab and other parts, which is affecting the air quality in various parts of Pakistani Punjab,” said Sajid Bashir, spokesperson for Punjab’s Environment Protection Agency.
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