Delhi residents should have followed SC guidelines on crackers: Minister Ashish Sood as AQI rises post Diwali

“Firecrackers alone are not responsible for pollution in Delhi. But I do believe that people should have followed the Supreme Court’s order to burst crackers only till 10 pm… If we look at data, the AQI in Anand Vihar was higher than that in Shahdara. Delhi has no weather or climate of its own; it is also dependent on activities in neighbouring states. I, however, appeal to the people of Delhi to follow court guidelines and celebrate festivals and help us to increase Delhi’s green cover and cleanliness so that Delhi does not face this issue again,” Sood told reporters.

‘Green’ crackers, which were banned in Delhi and NCR alongside any other fireworks to control air pollution during Diwali, were allowed by the Supreme Court this year.

It had directed the district administration and police to ensure that fireworks are restricted only to two time slots — 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm” on Chhoti Diwali (Sunday) Diwali (Monday).

This direction, however, was flouted widely, with violations being reported from across NCR. The Delhi Police are yet to disclose how many challans they issued for violations.

Among the big concerns regarding allowing green crackers in Delhi-NCR were timing, weather and use of traditional crackers, which are more polluting than the ‘green’ versions, even though the latter still cause significant pollution.

Fireworks become a cause of concern in the region because Diwali coincides with a dip in temperature, still winds and external inputs like rice stubble burning in neighbouring states. This means that local emissions from vehicles, road and construction dust and fireworks combine with emissions from stubble burning and settle over NCR because wind speed is low this time of the year.

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