BJP Encouraged People To Burn Firecrackers, Says Delhi Govt As Air Quality Deteriorates Post Diwali

Previously, the Delhi government had announced a complete ban on firecrackers till January 1, 2022 and ran an aggressive campaign against the sale and use of firecrackers.

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New Delhi: Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday said that the national capital’s air quality had deteriorated because of a surge in stubble burning and some people purposely bursting firecrackers on Diwali despite a ban on it.

The Delhi government’s Environment Minister claimed that the BJP made people burst firecrackers on Diwali on Thursday, news agency PTI reported.

Gopal Rai said that Delhi’s base pollution remained the same and only two factors have been added firecrackers and stubble burning.

“A large number of people did not burst firecrackers. I thank them all. But some people burst firecrackers on purpose. The BJP made them do it,” he told reporters, as quoted by PTI.

“Several people, after giving religious colour into it, intentionally burned the firecrackers. Delhi Government has already made several appeals to the people regarding the pollution condition, but opposition parties just for the sake of politics encouraged people to burn firecrackers, which now resulted in deteriorated conditions”, ANI quoted him as saying.

The minister further stated that the number of farm fires has risen to 3,500 and its impact is being witnessed in Delhi.

Talking about the Delhi government’s measures for tackling the situation, the Environment Minister informed that movable and immovable anti-smog machines are being installed in the national capital.

“We are installing several movable and immovable anti-smog machines in Delhi to curb the pollution. 10 big movable anti-smog machines will be on the roads. We are also initiating the process of sprinkling water at places where the pollution is severe,” he said, as reported by ANI.

Previously, the Delhi government had announced a complete ban on firecrackers till January 1, 2022 and ran an aggressive campaign against the sale and use of firecrackers.

Delhi’s air quality index (AQI), which entered the ‘severe’ category last night, continued its upward trend and stood at 462 at 12 pm on Friday.

According to the System of Air Quality & Weather Forecasting & Research (SAFAR), Delhi's overall air quality remained  in the ‘severe’ category at 03:07 pm, with overall AQI standing at 531.

SAFAR, the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality forecast agency had earlier informed that stubble burning accounted for 36 per cent of Delhi’s PM2.5 on Friday, the highest so far this season.

“The overall air quality of Delhi plunged to the upper end of the severe category with additional firework emissions... The share of stubble emissions has peaked today at 36 per cent,” said Gufran Beig, the founder project director of SAFAR, as quoted by PTI.

On Thursday, farm fires accounted for 25 per cent of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution.

As per PTI, the contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration was 32 per cent on Diwali last year as compared to 19 per cent in 2019.

The rampant bursting of firecrackers on Diwali night along with the  rapid increase in fumes from stubble burning resulted in a thick layer of smog engulfing the Delhi-NCR region on Friday.

The neighbouring cities such as Faridabad (460), Greater Noida (423), Ghaziabad (450), Gurugram (478) and Noida (466) also recorded ‘severe' air quality at 12 pm.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.