Received 152 calls; Reporting fire 25% less than last year

No serious fire incident occurred on Diwali

On Friday, Atul Garg, the Director of Delhi Fire Services said that Fire Service Department received a total of 152 calls for fire reports on the occasion of Diwali from the national capital, Delhi. Apparently, its 25 percent less compared to last year. He said “About 36 more fire calls were received post-midnight and all of them were in the category of normal fire.”

“We have received 152 calls on Diwali this time which is 25 per cent less than last year. A total of four calls are suspected to be connected with firecrackers. No serious fire incident occurred on Diwali. No major fire calls have been received,” said Atul Garg. He further added that “people burst fewer firecrackers this year.”

Although the Delhi government had banned the bursting and sale of all firecrackers including green crackers but people in several areas were seen burning firecrackers despite the ban. This majorly contributed to the already poor air quality in the national capital, Delhi. Following the festive celebrations, the air quality in various parts of the city deteriorated as it entered the severe category on Friday morning.

According to the Ministry Earth Sciences’ SAFAR-India application, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Noida slipped to the severe category. The concentration of Pollution Meter (PM) 10 stood at 488. In Delhi overall, the AQI stood at 386 with a PM concentration of 2.5. As a result of the thick layer of smog, many people complained of itchy throat and watery eyes. Today morning in Mathura Road, the concentration of PM 10 stood at 430.