Sign in Subscribe
Diwali

Delhi's Toxic Haze: A Yearly Conundrum of Pollution and Accountability

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Delhi's celebration of Diwali was a familiar sight, with houses and streets aglow and fireworks lighting up the skies. However, the morning after brought a stark reality - a toxic haze enveloped the city, with pollution levels soaring to "very poor" to "severe" levels. Despite court orders, government warnings, and awareness drives, the city's air quality plummeted to alarming levels. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that 36 out of 38 monitoring stations in Delhi slipped into the "red zone" on Diwali night, with four areas crossing the dreaded AQI mark of 400.

Key Takeaways:

  • Delhi's air quality plummeted to "very poor" to "severe" levels on Diwali night, with 36 out of 38 monitoring stations in the "red zone".
  • Four areas - Dwarka (417), Ashok Vihar (404), Wazirpur (423), and Anand Vihar (404) - crossed the dreaded AQI mark of 400, placing them squarely in the "severe" category.
  • Delhi's overall AQI stood at 344 by 10 pm, worsening as the night deepened and firecrackers continued beyond the Supreme Court's permitted hours.
  • The Supreme Court has issued guidelines on the sale and use of "green firecrackers", yet enforcement on the ground is missing.
  • State authorities have failed to ensure timely implementation or strict compliance with the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
  • Citizens must shoulder their share of blame for disregarding court directives, being indifferent to the impact of pollution on children and the elderly, and treating public health as someone else's problem.
  • The consequences of Delhi's pollution crisis include spiking respiratory illnesses, increased hospitalization for asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and potentially severe air pollution when crop stubble burning adds another layer of toxins.

Statistics:

  • 36 out of 38 monitoring stations in Delhi slipped into the "red zone" on Diwali night.
  • Delhi's overall AQI stood at 344 by 10 pm.
  • Four areas - Dwarka (417), Ashok Vihar (404), Wazirpur (423), and Anand Vihar (404) - crossed the dreaded AQI mark of 400.
  • Only 2 out of 38 monitoring stations met the "good" air quality standard.

Sources:

  • Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
  • Supreme Court
  • State authorities
  • "Pioneer" publication
  • Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Pioneer

Read more