2 days after Diwali, Delhi continues to inhale ‘very poor’ air

On Tuesday, October 21, many areas in Delhi recorded an AQI above 500 as NCR residents flouted the firecracker rules issued by the Supreme Court ahead of the festival. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) at 4 pm on Tuesday was 351 (very poor), up from 345 on Monday.

The air quality in Delhi has been an issue of concern every year due to stubble burning in neighbouring states, especially during the season of low wind speeds, leading to thick smog during the months of December and January.

Delhi found itself enveloped in a thick grey haze and its air quality entered the “red zone” a day after Diwali, which saw cracker-bursting well beyond the two-hour limit (8 pm to 10 pm) set by the Supreme Court.

More than 250 people suffered burn injuries in Delhi on Diwali, with hospitals across the city reporting a surge in the number of cases, mostly caused by firecrackers. The Safdarjung Hospital, which has the country’s largest burn unit, recorded the highest number of such cases at 129.

The DFS received 269 emergency calls on Diwali night, marking a nearly-15-per cent decline from last year’s figure of 318, the highest in the last 13 years.