Supreme Court’s ban on fireworks goes ignored as thick smog engulfs Delhi after Diwali celebrations
Air pollution in Delhi: Images shared on social media showed a thick haze covering the roads, significantly reducing visibility and making it difficult to see beyond a few hundred metres.
New Delhi: The strict ban on fireworks was seriously violated in several parts of the national capital as people celebrated Diwali on Sunday. Many were seen bursting fireworks in the Shahpur Jat and Hauz Khas region. Several people were also seen gathering at the locality’s park for bursting crackers. It is striking that the intensity of the bursting fireworks increased after 4 p.m., but was relatively less than last year.
Due to the bursting of fireworks, a thick layer of smog engulfed the national capital on Diwali evening, leading to heavy air pollution across the city.
#WATCH | To mark the occasion, people in Delhi let off fireworks #Diwali
Images from Punjabi Bagh. pic.twitter.com/h6oM71vR1t
— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2023
Images from several parts of Delhi showed thick haze covering the roads, significantly reducing visibility and making it difficult to see beyond a few hundred metres.
#WATCH | A layer of smog engulfs Delhi after the celebrations of #Diwali
(Images from RK Puram) pic.twitter.com/tYIS2KY8yK
— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2023
It is important to note that the national capital has already been struggling with pollution in recent weeks. The AQI peaked in the ‘severe’ category at many places and remained toxic for several days, but post Diwali, it is now very likely that the national capital will once again witness a rise in pollution levels, making it difficult for the people of the city to breathe.
Recently, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi imposed a complete ban on firecrackers. In the wake of the pollution situation, the government even considered the idea of ’artificial rain’ to tackle the city’s polluted air, until sudden rains caused a major disruption and pollution levels dropped.
The latest posts shared on social media sites and reports have revealed that a large number of people took part in lighting fireworks at various places. Sunday evening’s footage from Lodhi Road, RK Puram, Karol Bagh and Punjabi Bagh showed intense fireworks lighting up the night sky in several areas of the national capital.
Previous pollution data shows that air quality in the national capital has been at its worst since the last week of October. The concentration of PM 2.5 in the city is twenty times higher than the limit prescribed by the World Health Organization. This has prompted the city council to order the closure of all primary classes and to restrict the access of trucks.
Despite the Delhi government’s ‘Diya Jalao, Patakhe nahi’ campaign and the Supreme Court’s order on fireworks, rising pollution is likely to dim the lights in the city after the celebration ends.
(With input from agencies)