Delhi's Diwali fireworks lead to high pollution, AQI remains 'very poor'

Delhi experienced a surge in bursting of firecrackers during Diwali, leading to a significant rise in pollution levels. The air quality index remained in the 'very poor' category across most areas

The air quality in Delhi is still in the "very poor" category on Saturday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 321, the data showed. A day before, the AQI of the national capital was recorded at 359.

 

Multiple areas in Delhi saw bursting of firecrackers, including Lajpat Nagar, Kalkaji, Chhatarpur, Jaunapur, East of Kailash, Saket, Rohini, Dwarka, Punjabi Bagh, Vikas Puri, Dilshad Garden, and Burari.

 

The AQI is categorised as follows: a reading between 0 and 50 is deemed "good"; 51 to 100 is classified as "satisfactory"; 101 to 200 is considered "moderate"; 201 to 300 is labelled "poor"; 301 to 400 falls under "very poor"; and 401 to 500 is identified as "severe".

 

Delhi pollution during Diwali

On Friday, Delhi's pollution board reported no significant change in the AQI during this year’s Diwali celebrations, despite numerous violations of pollution regulations.

 

According to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the levels of PM2.5, a hazardous particulate matter, dropped by 4 per cent compared to last year's Diwali. In contrast, PM10 levels, which refer to particulate matter measuring 10 micrometres or smaller, saw an increase of 11 per cent.

Record high pollution levels

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) indicated that this year marked Delhi's most polluted Diwali in three years. The city's 24-hour average AQI on Thursday was recorded at 330, in comparison to 218 in 2023 and 312 in 2022.

 

The report highlighted that most air quality monitoring stations in Delhi reported similar pollution levels, with 37 out of 39 stations indicating "very poor" air quality.

 

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that although it was predicted that air pollution levels would increase after Diwali, it has managed to be under control. "From today, we are increasing the sprinkling of water across Delhi to control air pollution levels... Firecrackers were not burst on a large scale, this indicates the changing mindset of the people of Delhi," he added.

 

(With agency inputs)