New Delhi, October 20, 2017: The Supreme Court had on October 9 banned the sale of firecrackers in Delhi during Diwali in order to counter the pollution, deteriorating air quality and smog-like conditions that have come to be associated with the festival in recent times.
While a radical change was not expected following the ban on firecrackers, a humble and promising beginning could be witnessed on Diwali with majority areas in Delhi reporting much lesser noise and smoke till 6 PM, compared to previous years.
However, as the festive spirit picked up from 7 PM onwards, the hopes for a pollution-free Diwali got lost behind the growing echo of the crackers.
Despite the much talked about the ban on firecrackers, pollution monitoring stations placed the capital in the 'red zone', indicating 'very poor' air quality. According to the stats available, on Diwali day around 7 pm, online indicators showed a rising trend in the volume of cancer-causing ultra-fine particulates PM2.5 and PM10 that are capable of entering the respiratory system and reach the bloodstream.
PM2.5 and PM10 are the extremely fine particulate matter with the digits representing their diameter in micrometers. They are a major component of air pollutants that threaten both, our health and the environment at large.
However, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) suggested that the air quality in Delhi on Diwali was better than last year.
On Thursday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) value was 319 which placed the city in the 'very poor' category. However, the AQI value on Diwali last year was 431 and the city was placed in the 'severe' category.
According to data from SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research), the 24-hour rolling average at around 11 PM was revealed as 154 and 256 micrograms per cubic meter for PM2.5 and PM10 respectively.
According to SAFAR data, pollution levels were expected to soar between 11 PM and 3 AM.
As the night progressed, PM2.5 levels recorded a sharp rise in multiple areas in and around Delhi, with 15 times increase in areas like India Gate
As per data from Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), PM2.5 levels at 6 AM in,
India Gate – 911 microns (Normal level – 60 microns)
RK Puram – 776 microns (13 times more than usual)
Ashoka Vihar – 820 microns (14 times more than normal)
Anand Vihar – 617 microns (10 times more than normal)
A sharp rise was observed in the PM10 levels in the early hours of the morning after Diwali which suggest hazardous pollution levels in Delhi.
As per data from Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), PM10 levels at 6 AM in,
India Gate – 985 microns
RK Puram – 1083 (11 times more than usual)
Anand Vihar – 2402 microns (24 times more than normal. Normal level is considered around 100 microns)
While the ban on firecrackers imposed by the Supreme Court aimed to reduce pollution levels in Delhi, figures from pollution monitoring system paint an unhealthy picture with amplified levels of air pollution.
Official figures from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) are yet to be announced today. However, judging from the data available, it won't be wrong to say that pollution levels in Delhi have increased post-Diwali.