(Image source from: REUTERS)
A heavy layer of harmful smoke enveloped Delhi for the second day in a row after Diwali, as people continued to set off fireworks beyond the two-hour limit established by the Supreme Court. According to information from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) website, the air quality index (AQI) was at 345 at 7 in the morning, falling in the 'very poor' category. Of the 38 monitoring stations, 34 recorded levels in the 'red zone', showing 'very poor' to 'severe' air quality. Two stations, Punjab Bagh and Wazirpur, reported 'severe zone' levels with AQI numbers of 433 and 401. AQI levels are classified as follows: 0 to 50 is 'good', 51 to 100 is 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 is 'moderate', 201 to 300 is 'poor', 301 to 400 is 'very poor', and 401 to 500 is 'severe'. Images from ITO, where the AQI was noted at 361, displayed a layer of smog in the area.
On Tuesday, the air quality index (AQI) was nearly 350, marking a five-year low for the period following Diwali, even with a 77.5 percent decrease in stubble burning, which typically contributes greatly to pollution in the capital. The PM2.5 levels reached alarming averages of 488 micrograms per cubic meter, which is almost 100 times higher than the limit recommended by the World Health Organization. This situation persists despite the Supreme Court's instructions to use only 'green' firecrackers. In an order issued on October 15, the court permitted the use of green crackers in Delhi-NCR from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali, with restrictions for the day before Diwali from 6 am to 7 pm and 8 am to 10 pm on the festival day. Still, many residents ignored the court’s rules, leading to celebrations continuing late into the night.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which faced criticism for not tackling smog and pollution in the Yamuna that contributed to its earlier defeat this year, criticized the ruling BJP in the state for the increasing air pollution. AAP MLA Gopal Rai accused the Delhi government of making "excuses" and failing to act against pollution. He claimed that BJP leaders were encouraging people to set off fireworks despite the air quality emergency in the capital. AAP state leader Saurabh Bharadwaj mocked Rekha Gupta regarding the pollution rise, suggesting she struggles to even say "AQI". "We don’t know what the government has done. The Chief Minister can’t even pronounce AQI correctly; she calls it IQ, QQ. She has no understanding of it. The government has not managed to stop pollution," he stated. In contrast, the BJP blamed citizens for using firecrackers and pointed to stubble burning in nearby regions as the cause for the dense smog covering the national capital.
