The air quality in Delhi and nearby cities reached hazardous levels today – a day after Diwali – with the widespread violation of the firecracker ban across the National Capital Region (NCR) on Sunday raising pollution concerns.
A dense layer of smog enveloped the national capital on Monday morning, mere hours after revellers defied the Supreme Court’s ban on firecrackers during Diwali celebrations.
This comes as a severe blow to Delhi, already grappling with alarming levels of air pollution. Air quality across Delhi continued to be in the ‘Poor’ category on Monday morning, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). AQI in Anand Vihar was recorded at 296, in RK Puram at 290, in Punjabi Bagh at 280 and in ITO at 263.
People burst firecrackers across Delhi, Noida and Gurugram, and other regions in the NCR yesterday. Social media visuals showed people gathering in the parks of the locality for bursting crackers. Many others questioned the Supreme Court ban and the failure of the authorities in implementing it.