At a time of year when Delhi’s air pollution is at its worst, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has blamed the city’s terrible air pollution on 3,500 farm fires (to burn agricultural waste).
Thousands defied the government’s ban on the use of firecrackers on Diwali, resulting in a toxic cloud of pollution over New Delhi. Gopal Rai, the Environment Minister, slammed the BJP for “inspiring people to deliberately set off firecrackers.”
Many people decided not to use firecrackers. Thank you very much, everyone. Others, on the other hand, purposefully set off fireworks. Today, he claimed, “They were pushed to do it by the BJP,” claiming that the city’s “base pollution level” remained unchanged.
The BJP has not yet responded.
He also blamed the city’s terrible air pollution on 3,500 farm fires (to burn stubble), which cause a feud between the government and opposition parties this time of year.
According to SAFAR, India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality forecasting department, Delhi’s PM2.5 readings on Friday were the highest this season.
The Central Pollution Control Board dashboard showed PM2.5 readings at the Anand Vihar station at 466 micrograms (g/m3) as of 8 p.m. There were 500 people at the Burari crossing (Haryana border). Chandi Chowk had 358 people, Mandir Marg had 489 people, and Lodhi Road had 500 people.
It was ten o’clock at night, and all of these readings were 500.
According to the CPCB, this “affects healthy people and has a significant impact on those with pre-existing ailments.” PM2.5 in the air can cause cardiovascular and respiratory problems, including lung cancer.
Anything above 5 micrograms per year is considered dangerous by the World Health Organization.
There have also been reports of high levels of pollution in neighbouring cities, with AQIs in Noida, Ghaziabad (450), Faridabad (460), and Gurgaon (478) all exceeding acceptable levels.
Uttar Pradesh is home to Ghaziabad and Ghaziabad, while Haryana is home to Faridabad and Gurgaon.
Following in the footsteps of Delhi’s spectacular firework defiance, both states are governed by the BJP, which has also banned the use of firecrackers.
Researchers, including those at SAFAR, predict that conditions will not improve until Sunday, with stubble burning accounting for 40% of total pollutant emissions by Saturday.
Despite substantial scientific evidence emphasising the dangers of breathing toxic air, many people refuse to accept restrictions on how they celebrate the event, such as prohibiting the use of firecrackers before or after Diwali.
Only those containing Barium salts are prohibited, but the Supreme Court ruled last week that these celebrations could not endanger people’s health. Although it stated that top officials at all levels “would be held personally accountable” for any failures, it did not state this explicitly.
