Delhi Awakens to Toxic Haze as Diwali Celebrations Cause Pollution Spike
The Indian capital was shrouded in a thick haze on Tuesday morning, a day after millions of people celebrated the Hindu festival of Diwali with fireworks. The air quality index (AQI) soared to "severe" levels, with some areas recording an AQI of over 500 – 10 times higher than the level deemed healthy by the World Health Organization.
The pollution was caused by the widespread burning of firecrackers during Diwali celebrations, which has become an annual blight on India's capital. Despite a ban on sale and bursting of firecrackers in Delhi since 2020, the newly elected regional government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had approached the supreme court to relax the ban, citing "green crackers" that are only 30% less polluting.
However, environmentalists and health campaigners expressed frustration over the judges' decision, which allowed green firecrackers to be set off during stipulated time windows. The result was a widespread flouting of the rules across the capital, with little regulation on whether the firecrackers were the more environmentally friendly variety.
The air quality in Delhi peaked at midnight, with pollution levels reaching 15-20 times higher than those deemed healthy. In some areas, PM2.5 and PM10 levels recorded peaks of 1,800 – a staggering 15 to 20 times higher than safe limits.
This is not the first time Delhi has awoken to toxic haze during Diwali celebrations. The problem has been a recurring issue for more than 15 years, with pollution levels often exceeding those in Beijing, China's former title as the world's most polluted city.
The economic and health toll on Delhi's population of roughly 33 million people is enormous. Exposure to poor air quality increases the risk of neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases, and can even lead to cancer. The pollution is estimated to be responsible for 10,000 premature deaths a year in Delhi.
As neighboring Pakistan partly blamed India's declining air quality in Lahore on pollutants from the capital, the city's residents were forced to breathe in toxic air. The situation highlights the urgent need for effective measures to reduce pollution during Diwali celebrations and address the root causes of the problem.
The Indian capital was shrouded in a thick haze on Tuesday morning, a day after millions of people celebrated the Hindu festival of Diwali with fireworks. The air quality index (AQI) soared to "severe" levels, with some areas recording an AQI of over 500 – 10 times higher than the level deemed healthy by the World Health Organization.
The pollution was caused by the widespread burning of firecrackers during Diwali celebrations, which has become an annual blight on India's capital. Despite a ban on sale and bursting of firecrackers in Delhi since 2020, the newly elected regional government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had approached the supreme court to relax the ban, citing "green crackers" that are only 30% less polluting.
However, environmentalists and health campaigners expressed frustration over the judges' decision, which allowed green firecrackers to be set off during stipulated time windows. The result was a widespread flouting of the rules across the capital, with little regulation on whether the firecrackers were the more environmentally friendly variety.
The air quality in Delhi peaked at midnight, with pollution levels reaching 15-20 times higher than those deemed healthy. In some areas, PM2.5 and PM10 levels recorded peaks of 1,800 – a staggering 15 to 20 times higher than safe limits.
This is not the first time Delhi has awoken to toxic haze during Diwali celebrations. The problem has been a recurring issue for more than 15 years, with pollution levels often exceeding those in Beijing, China's former title as the world's most polluted city.
The economic and health toll on Delhi's population of roughly 33 million people is enormous. Exposure to poor air quality increases the risk of neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases, and can even lead to cancer. The pollution is estimated to be responsible for 10,000 premature deaths a year in Delhi.
As neighboring Pakistan partly blamed India's declining air quality in Lahore on pollutants from the capital, the city's residents were forced to breathe in toxic air. The situation highlights the urgent need for effective measures to reduce pollution during Diwali celebrations and address the root causes of the problem.
every year it's like same old story - diwali celebrations, fireworks, pollution spike ... can't they just switch to eco-friendly crackers or something? 
i mean, 33 million people breathing in poor air quality every year is insane. cancer risk and premature deaths are no joke 
but at the same time, it's not like india has been doing great on environmental issues to begin with... government needs to step up their game, invest in sustainable solutions rather than just relaxing rules 
10k premature deaths a year is just mind blown what can be done to clean up our act especially with diwali being such a big festival everyone's gotta take responsibility for their fireworks choices 
or maybe it's time for some serious gov accountability? 
It's like our government is playing a game of " pollution roulette". They know the impact it has on citizens' health but instead of taking concrete steps, they're trying to find loopholes 
. Relaxing the ban on firecrackers just because they claim green crackers are less polluting? 
Come on! That's not good enough. We need stricter regulations and a more comprehensive approach to addressing air pollution in Delhi. The fact that Pakistan is already feeling the effects of our pollution levels in Lahore is a wake-up call 
. Our government needs to take this seriously and implement policies that prioritize public health over short-term gains 
. The Bharatiya Janata Party's decision to relax the ban on green firecrackers, despite the environmentalists' warnings, is just another example of short-term thinking from politicians who care more about pleasing their voters than protecting public health 
. I mean, who needs clean air when you can have a few extra fireworks, right? 
.
i feel so bad for delhi's residents, 33 million ppl can't even breathe without worrying about their health. and what's with these "green crackers" 
they're just a fancy name for still being super toxic. it's like the gov's trying to spin this as some sort of environmental win when really they're just letting people continue to pollute. 15-20 times higher than safe limits is NO JOKE 
We need to take action and come up with some real solutions to this problem. It's not just about Diwali, it's about protecting our health and environment every day of the year 
. And all this pollution is happening because of one festival? It's just not fair to the people living there who have to deal with the aftermath. We need better solutions, like more eco-friendly celebrations or stricter regulations on firecrackers. This is just a classic case of priorities gone wrong 
.
. We can't keep expecting someone else to save us from our own mistakes, we gotta take responsibility for our actions 
.
and thats a huge concern! need some serious action taken ASAP 
and it's literally 15-20 times higher than safe limits 
what if people start getting sick from breathing in this toxic air? 
i mean we know diwali can get lit 
but can't we find a way to make it more eco friendly instead of just burning firecrackers all day? 
I mean, green crackers or not, they're still polluting our air and hurting people's health. We need to think about the long-term effects and come up with some real solutions 
The health impacts are real and devastating, especially for the elderly and kids. We need to find alternative ways to celebrate without putting our air quality at risk.
i know it sounds crazy but think about it like this - diwali's a huge celebration for millions of ppl, but we're still worried about air quality? idk what's more worrying, the pollution or the fact that ppl are willing to risk their health just for some sparkly lights and fireworks 
we can do better than this 
, firecrackers r a part of indian culture & its not like they r just gonna disappear overnight. plus, green crackers r actually better for the environment, so it's all good 
. if people wanna celebrate, let them light up their diyas & firecrackers with joy