Thick smog blanketed New Delhi early Monday morning after residents lit up the skies with firecrackers during Diwali celebrations, according to 1News.
The Air Quality Index exceeded 350 in several parts of the Indian capital, reaching the severe category and threatening the health of the metropolitan region's more than 30 million residents. Visibility deteriorated as a grey haze covered streets and high-rise buildings, while monitoring stations recorded alarming fine particulate matter levels.
India’s Supreme Court sought to limit the annual pollution spike in October by restricting conventional firecrackers. The court allowed only approved green firecrackers under specified conditions for three-hour windows on Saturday and Sunday.
Green firecrackers produce fewer emissions than traditional pyrotechnics, but they are not pollution-free. They still release particulate matter and other pollutants into the atmosphere.
🇮🇳 🪔 🧨 India celebrates Diwali with firecrackers, but New Delhi chokes Millions across India celebrate the annual Hindu festival of lights with fireworks and firecrackers. But the celebrations come at a cost to air quality. In New Delhi, already one of the world's most… pic.twitter.com/rDJLQaIHlo
The capital regularly ranks among the world’s most polluted areas during winter as Diwali fireworks coincide with cooler weather. Smoke from crop-residue fires in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana compounds the crisis.
Farmers often burn leftover rice stalks after harvesting to clear their fields for the next planting season. That smoke drifts toward New Delhi, mixing with vehicle emissions, industrial output, and construction dust.
Stagnant atmospheric conditions, low wind speeds, and cool temperatures in late October and November trap the pollutants. The resulting haze often lingers over the region for days.
Authorities have implemented several steps to curb the crisis, including limits on construction activity and restrictions on diesel generators. However, the measures have failed to prevent severe pollution from returning each year.
Environmentalists state that long-term solutions are necessary to address the recurring hazard. These include cleaner energy sources and stricter controls on vehicle emissions.