The morning after Diwali in Delhi, instead of being clean, was full of thick haze as Delhi celebrated the festival of lights. While the city hoped for a cracker-free night of celebration, following a Supreme Court ban on the sale of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR), the pollution indicators told another story.
Despite ban, firecrackers were burst freely causing severe air pollution in Delhi
The online indicators of the pollution monitoring stations in the city glowed red, indicating a 'very poor' air quality as the volume of ultra fine particulates PM2.5 and PM10, which enter the respiratory system and manage to reach the bloodstream, sharply rose from around 7 pm.?Real time pollution data appeared alarming. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee's (DPCC) RK Puram monitoring station recorded PM2.5 and PM10 at 878 and 1,179 micrograms per cubic metre at around 11 pm, reported PTI.
Delhi woke up to a thick smog-filled morning after Diwali
With festivities growing by the hour, the quality of air and noise began to gradually deteriorate.?According to the SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research), the 24-hour rolling average of PM2.5 and PM10 were 154 and 256 micrograms per cubic metre respectively at around 11 pm.
The city was covered in smoke caused by firecrackers
A 'very poor' air quality index (AQI) essentially means that people may suffer from respiratory illnesses on a prolonged exposure to such air. If the air quality dips further, the AQI will turn 'severe', which may trouble even those with sound health conditions and seriously affect those with ailments.?The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA) is empowered to enforce the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to combat air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
Angry citizens took to social media to express their disappointment and debate the severe consequences of bursting firecrackers despite the ban. While some outrightly criticised the revellers not following the ban and polluting the environment, some sardonically mocked the situation :