After Cleanest September, Delhi Breathes Cleanest Air Post-Dussehra In 5 Years. Will We Pass The Diwali Test?

The bustling city of New Delhi figures among the cities that are worst polluted not only in India but globally.

Though this is not limited to Delhi alone as India itself falls in the shameful list of countries with the highest number of deaths due to air pollution, according to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which estimates seven million people are killed every year due to air pollution while non-fatal effects include irregular heartbeats, aggravated asthma and decreased lung function.

Further according to the AirVisual and Greenpeace index, which was released in March this year, Seven of the world's 10 worst polluted cities are in India. New Delhi, which is home to more than 20 million people, was ranked at 11, making it the world's most polluted capital, even ahead of Dhaka and Kabul.

But all hope is not lost as far as the air quality in India¡¯s National Capital is concerned as it has been showing consistent improvement in the recent months.

There was something unusual about the air in the national capital during the month of September. As per the data from Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), it was the cleanest September that the bustling city of New Delhi had seen over the past nine years.

It was found out that both the average PM2.5 and PM10 levels were within safe standards for the first time during September in all these years.

Now, as per a report in the Hindustan Times, residents of the national capital breathed much cleaner air post-Dussehra as the air quality remained in the ¡®moderate¡¯ category.

While several factors such as the rain and meteorological conditions have contributed to making the air cleaner in Delhi, it is also a result of steps taken by the authorities on the ground, such as the crackdown on the use of firecrackers.

¡°There was no notable spike in pollutants post effigy burning, as favourable meteorological conditions did not allow pollutants to accumulate. Because of an extended monsoon, Delhi still has easterly winds coming in, which do not allow trapping of pollutants,¡± a senior official from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee was quoted a saying in the HT report.

The officials also emphasised that a dip in the use of crackers as several organsiers of Dussehra festivities took to digital visualization instead of effigy burning also helped prevent pollution.

¡°A slight rise in pollutants could be seen only for a few hours on the same day, post-effigy burning. The air quality at most monitoring stations remained in the moderate category. This has been possible because of a combination of factors including good weather conditions as well as allowing only use of green crackers and other dust-control measures being taken by the city government,¡± Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) was quoted as saying.

But the real challenge lies before the Capital as the festival of Diwali is fast approaching. Pollution levels rise to unexpected levels post Diwali every year and its health implications have been laid down by the concerned authorities at numerous instances.

The overall air quality index (AQI) a day after Diwali last year was recorded in the "severe plus emergency" category, according to Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) data.

The sharp spike in pollution was caused by rampant burning of firecrackers that had even led to the formation of a smoky layer across the national capital and drastically reduced visibility.

The Supreme Court had allowed people to burst firecrackers from 8 pm to 10 pm only on Diwali. However, in several places firecrackers were burnt before and after the set time frame, despite the Supreme Court's order and news channels showed them live.

This time around as we approach Diwali again, we have the positive results of our collective actions to count on and celebrate the festival in a manner that it does not prove detrimental to the air quality, which is showing improvement after a long wait.