New Delhi (EFE).- New Delhi woke up Tuesday as the most polluted city in the world after a night of Diwali celebrations filled the sky with fireworks, according to Swiss air quality monitoring platform IQAir.
IQAir data showed the Indian capital’s air quality index (AQI) reached 491 at 9:30 a.m. (0300 GMT), placing it in the “hazardous” category — the worst level on the scale.
India’s Central Pollution Control Board recorded a slightly lower reading of 356 at 9 a.m. (0230 GMT), still considered “severe.”
Concentrations of PM2.5 — tiny airborne particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream — reached 321 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 20 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended daily limit and about 64 times the advised level for long-term exposure.
Severe spikes in pollution are common following the Hindu festival of Diwali, when millions across India set off fireworks late into the night despite government restrictions.
Authorities this year stopped short of imposing a full ban on fireworks but urged residents to use “green crackers,” designed to emit less pollution.
Last week, Delhi authorities activated the first stage of the city’s Graded Response Action Plan, which restricts construction and industrial activities when air quality deteriorates.
The city’s air typically worsens during this season as cooler weather and weak winds trap pollutants near the ground. Vehicle emissions, construction dust, and widespread crop stubble burning in neighboring states also contribute to the toxic haze blanketing the capital. EFE
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