UPDATED: Friday, Nov. 12, 12 pm IST: Despite the anti-firecracker campaign, Diwali left Delhi's air polluted with pollution, with levels of particulate matter rising by up to 20 times.
If you’re in Delhi, there’s a good reason why you shouldn’t burst firecrackers this Diwali. Meteorologists have predicted that the air quality in the city over the next couple of days is likely to be worse than last year, due to cooler weather conditions.
The Indian government’s pollution monitoring bureau System of Air Quality, Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) has even issued a health advisory which states: “Everyone should avoid all physical activity outdoors; people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should remain indoors and keep activity levels low”. The peak pollution hours are expected to be between 10 p.m. on Nov. 11 and 2 p.m. on Nov 12., with Noida and Delhi University being the most polluted areas.
The cooler weather is a major factor in the higher air pollution levels this year. “There is enough moisture in the air and atmospheric holding capacity is quite high for particles emitting from firecrackers. In all likelihood, air quality during Diwali 2015 is going to be inferior to that of Diwali 2014 owing to cooler temperature and downward shift of inversion layer," SAFAR's Project In-charge, Gurfan Beig said in an interview. He also added that the high levels of moisture cause the particles emitted from fireworks to multiply, leading to the formation of haze in the coming days.
The major pollutants in Delhi’s air are small particulate matter known as PM 10 and PM 2.5, which penetrate into the lungs and cause respiratory problems. According to SAFAR’s forecast, the levels of PM 10 and PM 2.5 are likely to be 308.1 micrograms per cubic metre and 209.7 micrograms per cubic metre respectively on Nov. 11. In the next two days, they can rise to critical levels, i.e. 950.95 micrograms per cubic metre for PM 10 and 429.5 micrograms per cubic metre for PM 2.5.
As per WHO, the permissible limits are 60 micrograms per cubic metre for PM 2.5 and 100 micrograms per cubic metre for PM 10. Last year, the level for PM.5 was 250 micrograms per cubic metre and 450 micrograms per cubic metre.
The forecast is based on the assumption that the same number of crackers will be burst this year. With air quality hovering at a critical level in the last few weeks, the Delhi government has been running an anti-firecracker campaign, as a result of which the capital's major firecracker sellers have reported a sharp drop in sales. Last month, the Supreme Court turned down a petition to ban the bursting of firecrackers in the city or to restrict them to community spaces.
If you’re stuck in Delhi, you can prepare for the pollution in several ways. If you are venturing outside, wear glasses to protect your eyes and special protective masks to filter harmful particulate matter. You can also monitor the pollution levels in various neighbourhoods across Delhi using the Plume Labs app.