New Delhi: Delhi’s Air Quality Worsens Sharply as Firecracker Ban is Ignored During Diwali Celebrations

Delhi’s air quality plummeted sharply this morning after many residents violated the firecracker ban during Thursday’s Diwali celebrations. Despite the restrictions, firecrackers were set off well into the night, causing severe noise pollution and a thick blanket of smog to settle over the city.

Real-time data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) showed that the city’s air quality index (AQI) reached a concerning 359 by 6:30 a.m., categorized as “very poor.” This represented an increase from the 328 AQI recorded earlier on Diwali morning.The AQI scale ranges from 0-50 (good), 51-100 (satisfactory), 101-200 (moderate), 201-300 (poor), 301-400 (very poor), 401-450 (severe), and above 450 (severe-plus).

Most of Delhi’s 40 monitoring stations reported AQI levels falling in the “very poor” category, with areas like Anand Vihar and RK Puram registering 395, followed closely by Burari Crossing (394), Sonia Vihar (392), Punjabi Bagh (391), North Campus (390), Bawana (388), Jahangirpuri (387), Rohini (385), Ashok Vihar (384), and Nehru Nagar (381). According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, Delhi’s air quality is expected to remain in the “very poor” range (AQI 300-400) on Friday.

Ahead of the festival, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai had announced the formation of 377 teams to enforce the firecracker ban. A senior officer from Delhi Police confirmed that all Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) were instructed to establish dedicated teams to ensure compliance with the ban across districts.

Last year, Diwali saw the city’s best air quality in eight years, with the average AQI reaching 218. However, stubble burning and farm fires in neighboring states, Haryana and Punjab, continue to contribute significantly to the city’s pollution, especially during the post-harvest period in October and November.

In response to the worsening air quality, Delhi authorities have implemented stage two of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to address the hazardous pollution levels.