Delhi air quality index plunges to severe levels following Diwali fireworks

New Delhi's air quality index plummeted to hazardous levels following Diwali fireworks, according to data from air monitors. Toxic levels of smog, exacerbated by vehicle emissions, farm fires, and industry, surged to over 58 times the World Health Organization's recommended daily limit. Despite the Supreme Court's allowance for limited use of eco-friendly firecrackers during the festival, restrictions were frequently disregarded, resulting in a cacophony of explosions throughout the city.

At around eight o'clock in the morning on Monday, PM 2.5 microparticles, known to cause cancer, reached a staggering 879 micrograms per cubic metre in the Mandir Marg area, nearly 59 times higher than the WHO's recommended maximum. To combat smog, authorities had recently imposed restrictions on traffic and construction, but vehicles still accounted for 23% of Delhi's winter pollution, with biomass burning contributing 20%.

Industry, including coal-fired power plants, was responsible for approximately 9%, while secondary particles, formed from gases emitted by various sources reacting in the atmosphere, constituted 27% of the total pollution. A 2024 study in The Lancet Planetary Health journal estimated that 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were attributed to air pollution.