The National Capital was ranked the world’s most polluted city on Friday morning by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir, a day after Diwali celebrations pushed air quality to hazardous levels. Residents in Delhi and its neighbouring areas woke up to a blanket of toxic smoke the morning after Diwali, as people defied a ban on firecrackers on Thursday night causing severe noise pollution and reducing visibility.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in New Delhi was around 362 at 11 am on Friday a day after Diwali, which settled at 339 by 4 pm. Ironically, the firecrackers continued to be burst even on Friday evening as many celebrated Diwali on this date.
Delhi Police too chose to completely ‘ignore’ the ‘ban’ and ‘raids’ on fire crackers imposed by the judiciary, and as the noise decibel peaked in the Diwali evening, stakeholders from the administration personified the phrase: “Nero fiddled when Rome burnt”. Men and women of all ages, young children, those medically vulnerable, and other living beings such as birds, animals, plants were left to fend for themselves, as the National Capital turned into a smokey black city.
The resulting pollution had a health impact on people, many of whom were dealing with breathing issues, and in inflamed throats within hours of bursting firecrackers. Hospitals also saw an increase in the influx of such patients. “Exaggerated respiratory distress response with prior respiratory issues (asthmatics, COPD patients, etc.) due to cracker combustion smoke begins within four to six hours of smoke exposure. Symptoms including difficulty breathing, generalised visceral pain and heaviness in upper chest and skin irritation reach peak around 24 to 36 hours,” Dr. Akansh Kirodiwal, a PG Resident at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia hospital (RML) said.
He added that this was visible with the higher influx of such patients in the hospital. The relentless bursting of firecrackers caused severe noise pollution and blanketed the National Capital in dense smoke with residents flouting the restrictions till late at night. This creates several issues with animals who become extremely stressed during such times.
A Campaigns Coordinator in PETA India Utkarsh Garg stated, “The fireworks displays that accompany Diwali can seem more like a terrorist attack than a celebration to the dogs, cats, cows, and other animals who don’t understand that the explosions are meant as entertainment, not bombardment. During fireworks displays, many animals become frightened by the loud noises and run away from their homes.”
Dr. Asher Jesudoss, who is a Member in Executive Committee of Delhi Animal Welfare Board said that amid the celebration, several terrified birds could be seen flying away from trees and dogs as well as cats have been maimed, paralysed, attacked by other dogs or killed in road accidents just because some citizens refuse to follow the law. “Phone calls to the police have proved to be futile as well,” he said.
In contrast to the clearer sky on Diwali last year, when favourable conditions kept the AQI at 218, this year’s celebrations returned Delhi to its notorious pollution levels, a pattern worsened by unfavourable meteorological conditions, stubble burning and vehicular emissions.
A combination of adverse weather, vehicle emissions, local pollution, and crop stubble burning in nearby states is intensifying the smog across Delhi, worsening air quality for residents.
The smog-laden sky brought back memories of the “severe” pollution in 2020 as the PM2.5 and PM10 levels surged to 145.1 and 272 micrograms per cubic metre respectively at 9pm. These fine particles, which easily penetrate the respiratory system, pose serious health risks, especially for children, the elderly and those with pre-existing respiratory conditions.
The pollution levels at many of the pollution measuring stations of Delhi NCR touched the peak around midnight. While the PM2.5 and PM10 levels dipped significantly but they remain critical. The deterioration started after 5 pm on Thursday, around the time the bursting of firecrackers was reported in the national capital.
Due to the defiance of the cracker ban, PM2.5 levels in several areas soared as high as 900 micrograms per cubic metre - over 15 times the acceptable limit. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) reported extreme AQI levels across various parts of Delhi, with Anand Vihar registering PM2.5 concentrations high enough to categorise it as “severe,” raising health concerns for those breathing the air on Diwali night. Neighbourhoods such as Wazirpur, Pusa, and Vivek Vihar recorded AQI levels of 603, 601, and 677, respectively. Many other areas, including Burari Crossing, Jahangirpuri, and RK Puram, saw AQI readings exceeding 370, far surpassing safe limits.
In 2023, the 24-hour average AQI in the capital, as of 10 am on the day after Diwali which was on November 13, was 433. This figure at 10 am on Friday was much better than last year, at around 360. The wind speed picked up to 10kmph around 9 am, creating favourable conditions for the dispersal of pollutants.
On Friday morning, the AQI was 353 in Alipore, 395 in Anand Vihar, 387 in Ashok Vihar, 392 in Bawana, 395 in Burari Crossing, 395 in Chandni Chowk, 371 in Mathura Road, 372 in Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, 375 in IGI Airport, 334 in ITO, 390 in Jahangirpuri, 343 in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, 314 in Lodhi Road, 374 in Mundka, 329 in Najafgarh, 385 in Nehru Nagar, 390 in North Campus, 352 in Dwarka, 369 in Okhla Phase 2, 392 in Punjabi Bagh, 388 in Shadipur, 395 in Sonia Vihar, 314 in Sri Aurobindo Marg, and 389 in Wazirpur.
Many places in Haryana and Punjab as well as in the Union Territory of Chandigarh reported air quality index in the ‘poor’ category.Last year, Delhiites enjoyed a clearer sky and abundant sunshine on Diwali, with an AQI of 218, compared to 312 in 2022, 382 in 2021, 414 in 2020, 337 in 2019, 281 in 2018, 319 in 2017 and 431 in 2016, according to the CPCB. In Delhi’s neighbouring areas, such as Faridabad, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Noida, the air quality was slightly better, with all of them falling in the ‘poor’ category on Thursday.
