Diwali fireworks exacerbate severe air pollution crisis across New Delhi

Heavy smog blanketed New Delhi following Diwali celebrations on Sunday evening, according to reports from Al Jazeera, The Washington Post, and the Bangkok Post. Residents lit firecrackers across the Indian capital despite local restrictions, releasing dense smoke and fine particulate matter into the atmosphere. The Air Quality Index surpassed 350 in multiple parts of the capital on Monday morning, placing air quality in the severe category. [1][2][5]

The toxic haze poses heightened health risks for more than 30 million residents in the metropolitan area, Al Jazeera reported. On the eve of Diwali, DW reported that Delhi ranked as the world's most polluted major city, with NDTV adding that air quality degraded to very poor status before reaching severe levels. The New York Times reported that India's Supreme Court ordered that only environmentally friendly fireworks could be used, though environmental activists described the measure as green washing. [1][3][4][6]

New Delhi is the capital of India and the seat of the government, including the Supreme Court. Air pollution in India is estimated to cause about two million deaths each year, as FTMQ News reported earlier. In Delhi, poor air quality has irreversibly damaged the lungs of 2.2 million children. The broader Delhi metropolitan region faces severe winter air pollution challenges from vehicle emissions, industrial activity, and stubble burning. [7][8][9][11]

Air pollution in the capital is expected to worsen in the coming days, DW reported. Authorities are struggling to address the seasonal crisis while health systems face additional resource challenges. DW reported that the Delhi government spent only 47.4 percent of its allocated budget under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme last year. [3]