Delhi’s Air Quality Turns ‘VERY POOR’ amid Cracker Ban

Delhi’s air quality turned ‘very poor’ on Monday night with people celebrating the festival of Diwali by bursting crackers despite a ban imposed by the AAP government in order to keep air pollution levels in check. 

According to Swiss organisation IQAir, the air quality in Delhi on Diwali turned “very poor” on Monday amid an increase in stubble burning, bursting of firecrackers and moderately unfavorable meteorological conditions which allowed the accumulation of pollutants.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai last week said bursting firecrackers in the national capital on Diwali will attract a jail term of up to six months and a fine of RS 200. However, a large number of Delhiites were seen bursting high-decibel firecrackers on Diwali night flouting the ban imposed on these by the city government. In the neighbouring cities of Gurugram and Faridabad too, many people burst firecrackers.

Environmental experts had earlier warned that if the volume of firecrackers burst goes up again this year, the air quality is likely to dip further. 

The Delhi government had set up a total of 408 teams to implement the ban. The Delhi Police set up 210 teams under assistant commissioners of police, while the revenue department set up 165 teams and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee 33 teams.

As per the information, The air quality in Ghaziabad (301), Noida (303), Greater Noida (270), Gurugram (325) and Faridabad (256) was reported in the 'poor to very poor' category on Monday. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”