New Delhi: Post Diwali celebrations in the national capital, piles of firecracker waste could be seen in various areas of Delhi despite the ban on firecrackers that was imposed by the Government. A number of high-decibel firecrackers thundered through the night of Diwali, reported news agency PTI.
Gopal Rai, the Minister for Environment of Delhi, announced last week that bursting fireworks during Diwali in the city will result in a prison sentence of up to six-month and a fine of Rs 200. Despite the official prohibition in effect, firecrackers were set off around sundown in various areas of the city, including south and northwest Delhi.
And as the night went on, the volume of firecrackers escalated to levels that exceeded legal decibel restrictions, leading some people to ask "if there was any ban at all."
Diwali firecracker-bursting is a long-standing tradition, but authorities in Delhi claimed the decision to limit it was made after taking into account the environmental issues and health risks involved.
On Monday, a combination of increased stubble burning, firecracker use, and relatively unfavourable weather conditions caused Delhi's air quality to deteriorate to "very poor."
The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI), however, was still 312 and ranked second-best for Diwali in the past seven years. On Diwali in 2018, the city had an AQI of 281.
The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) warned that if fireworks are set off as they were last year, the air quality might become "severe" on Diwali itself and remain there for another day.
Numerous individuals bursted firecrackers in Gurugram and Faridabad, two nearby cities.
On Monday, the 'poor to very poor' category for air quality was reported for Ghaziabad (301), Noida (303), Greater Noida (270), Gurugram (325), and Faridabad (256).
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".
(With inputs from PTI)