Key points
- Air Quality Index exceeds 350, ‘severe’ level
- Firecracker ban eased, rules widely ignored
- Experts urge cleaner energy, emission controls
NEW DELHI: A thick blanket of smog covered India’s capital on Tuesday, a day after millions celebrated the Hindu festival of Diwali with fireworks that pushed air pollution levels to dangerous highs across the city.
Revelers in New Delhi set off firecrackers late into Monday night, filling the air with smoke and fine particles that combined with seasonal pollution and stagnant weather, reports AP News.
By Tuesday morning, the city’s Air Quality Index exceeded 350 in several areas — a level deemed “severe” and hazardous to breathe by the World Health Organization’s daily exposure standards.
Visibility dropped sharply as a grey haze enveloped roads, high-rises, and historic monuments. “I have never seen anything like this before. We can’t see anything here because of pollution,” said Vedant Pachkande, a visiting tourist.
Relaxing blanket ban
India’s top court last week relaxed a blanket ban on fireworks, permitting limited use of “green firecrackers” designed to emit about 30 percent fewer pollutants. However, as in previous years, the rule was widely ignored.
New Delhi, home to more than 30 million people, is among the world’s most polluted cities each winter as Diwali celebrations coincide with cold weather and smoke from nearby crop fires.
Environmentalists say long-term solutions — including cleaner energy and stricter vehicle-emission rules — are essential to end the city’s recurring pollution crisis.
