Air quality deteriorates in many parts in north and central India

New Delhi/Lucknow: After the rampant cracker bursting on Diwali despite restrictions in place, air quality deteriorated in many parts of north and central India, including the national capital where it was the poorest in five years post the festival with a rise in stubble burning in neighbouring states compounding the pollution woes.
Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai blamed the BJP for the defying of cracker ban by people, alleging that the saffron party made them burst firecrackers on purpose, as the city’s air quality index (AQI) entered the ‘severe’ category on Diwali night and continued its upward trend to reach 462 at noon on Friday.
Hitting back, Delhi BJP spokesperson Naveen Kumar Jindal said that Diwali is a festival of Hindus and not of a political party and asked if the Hindus who are with Rai’s Aam Aadmi Party are not allowed to celebrate their festival.
The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) the day after Diwali was 435 last year, 368 in 2019; 390 in 2018; 403 in 2017 and 445 in 2016. The AQI was 382 on Diwali day this year, 414 in 2020; 337 in 2019; 281 in 2018; 319 in 2017 and 431 in 2016.
As a thick layer of acrid smog enveloped the Delhi-NCR region throughout the day, blotting out the sun, the neighbouring cities of Faridabad (460), Greater Noida (423), Ghaziabad (450), Gurugram (478) and Noida (466) also recorded ‘severe’ air quality at noon.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.