Diwali firecrackers send air pollution levels in New Delhi soaring as attempts to reduce smog fizzle
- The Supreme Court ruled last month that only environmentally friendly crackers – that emit less smoke and soot – can be sold in Delhi
- The court also ruled that firecrackers could only be set off between 8pm and 10pm, but their bangs were still reverberating well after midnight
Air pollution in New Delhi hit hazardous levels on Thursday after a night of free-for-all Diwali fireworks, despite Supreme Court efforts to curb the smog-fuelling partying.
Major monuments including the India Gate and Red Fort were hidden by a toxic haze and commuters donned masks as visibility on major roads was reduced to barely 50 metres.
Diwali is the biggest Hindu festival of the year, when firecrackers are traditionally let off.
Early morning ambient air quality readings in Delhi – the world’s most polluted major city, according to the World Health Organisation – touched 526, according to the US embassy in the city which independently monitors pollution levels.
The air quality index used by the embassy is a combined measure of poisonous gases and fine airborne particles.
Any figure above 500 causes serious aggravation of heart and lung diseases, with doctors advising residents to skip outdoor activity.