New Delhi smog intensified after Diwali firecrackers were set off across the Indian capital, pushing air quality above 350 in several areas and exposing more than 30 million residents to severe pollution levels.
The Hindu festival of lights was celebrated across India on Sunday. Despite restrictions on fireworks, residents in New Delhi used firecrackers through the evening, releasing smoke and fine particulate matter into the atmosphere.
Air quality on Monday morning was classified as “severe”, posing significant health risks in relation to the World Health Organization’s recommended exposure thresholds.
Seasonal pollution in New Delhi
India’s Supreme Court imposed restrictions last month in an effort to limit Diwali pollution. Only approved “green firecrackers” were permitted, under specified conditions and within three-hour windows on Saturday and Sunday.
The approved fireworks produce fewer emissions, but do not eliminate pollution.
New Delhi’s seasonal crisis had already worsened in the days before Diwali. On Wednesday, air pollution rose to more than 30 times the World Health Organization’s recommended daily limit, according to air-monitoring data.
Pollution is particularly persistent in the capital during winter, when cooler temperatures, weak winds and stagnant atmospheric conditions prevent pollutants from dispersing. A thick haze can remain over New Delhi and surrounding areas for days.
Vehicles account for 23 per cent of the capital’s winter pollution, while biomass burning, including farm stubble fires, contributes 20 per cent, according to India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
