NEW DELHI, Nov 12 (Reuters) – A poisonous haze started to flow into in New Delhi on Sunday as individuals within the metropolis of 20 million, which has struggled with heavy air pollution just lately, defied a ban on firecrackers on the evening of Diwali, the annual Hindu pageant of sunshine.

Smoke plumes have been seen throughout the sky as revellers let off firecrackers within the night to mark the nation’s greatest pageant.

Every yr authorities authorities or India’s Supreme Court impose bans on firecrackers – however solely hardly ever do these bans look like enforced.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) throughout all 40 monitoring stations within the capital averaged 219 on a scale of 500, in keeping with the federal air pollution management board knowledge, indicating “poor” circumstances that may have an effect on most individuals on extended publicity.

The AQI knowledge additionally confirmed that the focus of “PM2.5” toxic particulate matter in a cubic metre of air was round 100 micrograms per cubic meter – 20 instances greater than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) advisable most.

Globally, air air pollution was the worst in India’s jap metropolis of Kolkata, whereas Delhi was the fifth-most polluted, in keeping with Swiss group IQAir.

Doctors say the air high quality is more likely to worsen on Monday as smoke from firecrackers lingers within the air, probably inflicting itchy eyes and irritation within the throat.

“I can see my patients are getting distressed. As a society we have not understood the value of clean air,” stated Desh Deepak, a senior advisor at Delhi’s Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Some Hindus resent the Diwali firecracker bans, which they see as an try to intrude with them observing their non secular festivals.

Earlier within the day, Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai had urged residents to avoid firecrackers to stop residents from having respiratory issues later.

Just earlier than the weekend, a spell of rain had introduced some aid to town, the place the AQI dipped beneath 160 after hovering across the 400-500 degree over the previous week.

The world’s most polluted capital sometimes experiences heavy smog within the winter months as particulate matter will get trapped within the chilly air, resulting in spikes in circumstances of respiratory misery.

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