Synopsis: Delhi’s air quality turns very poor. The air quality index of many places in Delhi reaches 300 on the morning after Diwali 2022.
The Delhi air quality was recorded in the “Very Poor” category the morning after Diwali 2022 because of the burning and bursting of crackers on Diwali night. Delhi’s real-time air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 326 at 7 am on Tuesday.
It was relatively better than last year. The Air Quality Index ranges from 301-400 and can cause “respiratory illness.”
The Air Quality Index of the previous five years.
| Years | Air Quality Index |
| 2017 | 319 |
| 2018 | 281 |
| 2019 | 337 |
| 2020 | 414 |
| 2021 | 382 |
According to the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board), the city’s AQI, at 321 on Monday, October 24, was the lowest in four years and the second best in the last seven years for a Diwali day.
The other neighboring cities of Delhi where AQI registered were 342 in Noida, 285 in Ghaziabad, 294 in Greater Noida, 315 in Gurugram, and 310 in Faridabad, from the ‘Poor’ to ‘Very Poor’ range.
The air quality index of Noida and Delhi is just a step away from dropping into a “Severe”(401-500) category, which can cause severe health impacts such as breathing, discomfort, and suffocation, and can affect healthy people and can cause severe problems for people who have an existing illness, especially asthma patients.
Readings from 0 to 50 are considered “Safe”, 51 to 100 are considered “Satisfactory”, 101 to 200 are considered “Moderate”, 201 to 300 are considered “Poor”, 301 to 400 are considered “Very Poor”, and above 401 is considered “Severe”.
PM2.5 levels at 30 out of 35 monitoring stations in the national capital were five to six times higher than the national norm of 60 micrograms per cubic meter at 7 a.m.
2.5 microns or less in diameter can reach deep into our lungs and enter the bloodstream.
The SAFAR ( System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) had earlier said that the air quality may plunge to “severe” levels on Diwali itself and will remain in the red zone for one day.
The Delhi government has taken several steps to address environmental concerns, including a ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, purchase, and use of firecrackers this Diwali. The government said anyone caught violating the ban on firecrackers would be fined and punished with 6 months in jail if they are caught.
The Supreme Court has also refused to lift the ban on firecrackers in Delhi.
Though People burst crackers on Diwali night in many places of the city, despite the ban on them.
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