Due to worries about dangerous air pollution levels during Diwali, the Delhi government prohibited the storage, sale, and use of firecrackers in the national capital on Wednesday. The action is similar to what the ruling Aam Aadmi Party declared last year, when terrible pollution levels were linked to the spread of COVID-19.
Mr. Kejriwal agreed that last year’s restriction was enacted late, causing merchants to lose money. According to him, the lateness of the order led to some vendors continuing to store and sell firecrackers, contributing to Delhi’s worst air quality levels in four years (on the day following Diwali).
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PM2.5 levels were nearly six times the acceptable limit in the national capital, making air quality severe. Air pollution levels in Delhi, which was named the world’s most polluted capital city in March, have long sparked heated discussion among environmental and health experts. Air pollution levels in the city increased during and after Diwali in 2019.
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The Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 600 in 2018, which is 12 times the safe level. In addition to firecrackers, stubble burning – a contentious practise – in neighbouring states such as Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh exacerbate air pollution in Delhi during the holiday season.
