Why Delhi’s air quality plunged despite ‘green’ Diwali crackers

30% LESS POLLUTION STILL MEANS POISON, SAYS AN ENVIRONMENTALIST

- BY STEPHEN N.R.

Smog gun sprays water to control pollution levels at Kartavya Path, in New Delhi yesterday. Traditional firecrackers were still sold in open markets, and residents across Delhi and its suburbs defied the time and material restrictions underlined by the apex court. 24 times higher PM levels than the WHO recommendation

(ANI)

Delhi woke up yesterday to a blanket of thick, grey smog — the familiar post-Diwali haze that once again smothered the city despite the Supreme Court’s order allowing only “green” firecrackers.

The night sky had glowed with rockets and colourful fireworks, but by dawn the air had turned heavy, hazy, and hard to breathe in. At 8am, the national capital’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 350, categorised as “very poor.”