Delhi recorded its worst air quality on a Diwali eve in 10 years on Saturday, November 7, as smog spread across the capital ahead of the Hindu festival of lights. The Central Pollution Control Board classified the air as “very poor,” and conditions were forecast to worsen to “severe” on Sunday, Diwali’s main celebration day.
The pollution level was the highest for a pre-Diwali day since 2016, when the index reached 404, according to DW. Delhi woke to thick smog and reduced visibility on Sunday morning. The following morning, the air quality index reached 483 at 8:10 a.m., in the “severe” category, The New Indian Express reported.
Fireworks set off during Diwali add to pollution that is already driven by vehicle emissions and crop-residue burning in neighboring Punjab and Haryana. Seasonal weather conditions can also trap pollutants over the city as winter approaches.
Authorities had ordered schools in and around Delhi to shift classes online and encouraged people to work from home ahead of the festival. India’s Supreme Court has also questioned the effectiveness of government measures to control pollution, identifying vehicle emissions as a major contributor and calling for practical alternatives to crop burning.
Nicole French