Delhi Gasps for Air! Post-Diwali Smog Chokes Capital, AQI Enters 'Severe' Zone

India Today

This special report focuses on the alarming rise in air pollution in Delhi and the NCR region following Diwali celebrations. Widespread bursting of firecrackers, in defiance of Supreme Court guidelines, has plunged the capital's air quality into the 'very poor' and 'severe' categories, with reporter Amit Bharadwaj on the ground. A key question was raised for authorities and residents: 'Do they do not have the right to breathe in clean air?'. The Delhi government has implemented Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to combat the toxic smog. The bulletin breaks down the rapid deterioration of the Air Quality Index (AQI) and highlights the severe health risks posed by high levels of PM2.5 particles, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause significant respiratory and cardiovascular issues.

Transcript

00:00It's the national capital waking up to a blanket of toxic smog.

00:04Now the air quality has plunged into the very poor category.

00:08That's what these images are telling you.

00:10According to the Central Pollution Control Board,

00:12the city has recorded an alarming level of 335 AQI till about 8am.

00:18Despite all the restrictions, there were widespread bursting of firecrackers.

00:22That's the reason why we are seeing a sharp spike in the pollution levels.

00:26This is triggering several noise pollution and this is what is leading to a complete choking of the national capital.

00:33The Delhi government already has enforced Grab Stage 2, but the worsening is still happening.

00:39The condition is getting from bad to worse.

00:41The air quality still remains under severe stress.

00:44Authorities are now advising people to stay indoors and to avoid outdoor activity

00:48to protect themselves from the toxic air.

00:51My colleague has filed this report.

00:53The Delhi and NCR have been closed.

01:23।

01:53तो नोईडा में इंदरापूरं में 400 के नीचे AQI है। हम लोग अक्छर धाम पे मौजूद हैं और यहां पर AQI 400 के उपर है।

02:02।

02:32My colleague Amit Bharadwaj is now joining me on this story.

02:37Amit, what we are seeing, the AQI already almost 400, which means that this year has turned toxic.

02:43There is an advisory also which has now been given by the experts.

02:47Stay indoors, do not move out if you do not need to.

02:55Aishwarya, the advisories can be given by the experts, health experts,

02:59but it is up to the government and up to the people of Delhi as to what kind of air quality they want

03:05for the children and the generations who live in the national capital and not only in Delhi

03:10but also the adjoining areas of Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Greta Noida.

03:15Because the picture that we are seeing right after the Diwali festivities is glim.

03:20Right behind me is Akshar Dham temple from where you saw a report filed by our colleague Himanshu.

03:26And as the camera will pan, you know, you won't be able to see anything clearly.

03:31There is haziness in the sky and many would argue that, look, the trend in the AQI does not suggest

03:37that this is happening because of the firecracker bursting which happened during the Diwali festivities.

03:43But for them, there is a reminder, gentlemen, this is October and not even November

03:49when you had Parali menace happening all through the northern India.

03:54And, you know, along with that, Diwali festivities, firecrackers would create a dangerous cocktail

03:59forcing everybody living in Delhi to feel like as if they are living in a gas chamber.

04:05And this is the third week of October where you and I and I fear, worry for the elderly and children

04:14and also those who have respiratory issues as to how they would have survived the night

04:20that we have witnessed the kind of firecracker, fireworks that has happened.

04:26You know, coming back to that expert opinion, experts were continuously speaking

04:30that there is years of hard work by the policymakers and more so by those who created campaigns

04:40to create awareness around firecrackers as to how we need to reduce such festivities

04:48while our belief, our faith is in place.

04:52We have a tradition of bursting firecrackers, but there was a lot of awareness as well

04:57over the years which had generated.

04:59When this ban on the, blanket ban on the firecrackers was removed,

05:05what we saw is the market was flooded with all sorts of crackers.

05:10You know, everybody was speaking about this, the fear that while you have allowed the green crackers,

05:15this is opening of the floodgates that the government agencies will not be able to handle

05:20and that's what has happened.

05:22We have seen in all the neighborhoods that you live around in NCR,

05:26why blame only the Delhi authorities, you know, you have Haryana, you have Uttar Pradesh.

05:33So, because of that, the numbers are speaking and even if you are not looking at the AQI monitors,

05:38you can feel the difficulty in breathing that people have gone through the entire night.

05:44Back to you, Ashwarya.

05:46Right, Amit, please stay on with me.

05:48Let us now break down.

05:49When we are telling you that Delhi is choking, we have data to back it.

05:53Let's just look at the AQI and how rapid the deterioration has been over the past few days.

05:58Now, if we talk about 21st October, that is today, the AQI is at 477.

06:05Just go back 24 hours, that is the 20th of October, it was 395.

06:11One step further, on the 19th of October, it was 236.

06:15On the 18th of October, it was 214.

06:18On the 17th of October, it was 206, which means that over the course of the last five days,

06:23you have seen the AQI jumping from 206, going all the way till 477.

06:30So, this is the kind of deterioration that we are talking about.

06:34In just the last five days, this is what you are looking at today.

06:39The AQI is at 477.

06:41Let's now also tell you, you know, let's just flip through the pages of history.

06:55Let's take a look at the last six Diwali's and what has happened.

06:59One smoky pattern, PM 2.5.

07:02Let's see what happened in 2024.

07:04When you look at 2024, you will see the AQI spiking up.

07:09We go back to 2023, this is the level that you could see in 2023.

07:17A day before Diwali, a day after Diwali.

07:19So, you can see the spike there.

07:22Let's take a look at 2021.

07:24So, all these things that you are seeing here at the moment,

07:27going all the way from this Diwali to the last six Diwali's.

07:30You see what happens exactly a day after Diwali.

07:34And this Diwali, the Supreme Court in fact had given out a window.

07:37But we all know how rules were being flouted.

07:40And that's the reason why you are seeing this.

07:42The past six Diwali's, there has been one smoky pattern before and after Diwali.

07:48The spike is so much clearer.

07:50You can see the AQI, a day before Diwali, almost 400.

07:54And a day after Diwali, almost touching 600.

07:57This is PM 2.5.

07:59Now, let me tell you, PM 2.5, these are such minute particles.

08:02They enter our system and then they settle into our lungs.

08:06So, this is something that experts have been pointing towards.

08:09My colleague Amit Bharadwaj is now joining me on the story.

08:12Amit, what we are seeing, you know, let's just take a look at the data that's coming in.

08:16Data is telling a horrific story.

08:19Unfortunately, it just takes 12 hours or so for the AQI to move into the Hazardous category.

08:24And you cannot escape it.

08:26The entire Delhi NCR region, almost in the severe category at the moment.

08:30Aishwarya, to surprise of many of our viewers, you know, the October data itself is a telling story.

08:42In the beginning of October, you had days where the AQI, CPCB Central data would reflect green patterns,

08:50which is, you know, very good air quality.

08:53To it, transitioning towards the yellow shade and eventually, as we speak, in the reddish shade.

09:00So, that itself is a reflection of the kind of menace that we are facing today and the challenge that we are up to.

09:09Having said that, we also need to understand that the climatic conditions in the national capital have started to change in October itself.

09:17So, the experts were already worrisome about the fact that these climatic conditions would mean,

09:24while the rest of several parts of northern India could enjoy winters,

09:29the areas which are pollution hotspots are going to have difficult winter this time around.

09:34Because of the climatic conditions, this would already lead to spike in, you know, pollution.

09:40Air quality will plummet.

09:43And we saw in the past week as to how the data that he was speaking about as well,

09:48that a lot of contribution to it has been because of the climatic conditions in and around northern India as well.

09:56And with that, you have the restrictions on the blanket ban on the firecrackers being lifted,

10:04green crackers being allowed for a certain window.

10:07But we know how it works, you know, when you had a blanket ban on firecrackers in the national capital,

10:14even then, you would have fireworks.

10:16Now, if you lift that restriction, ease of those restrictions, what is going to happen,

10:21we witnessed last night.

10:22Many of the people were taking on to social media platforms,

10:26saying the kind of difficulty they had in breathing, you know, burning sensation in their eyes,

10:31or irritation on their skin, and especially those who had respiratory problems,

10:37even with the fact that they had, you know, air purifiers at their homes,

10:42they were facing difficulties.

10:44Now, understand those who cannot afford to buy air purifiers,

10:50how it would have been for them, the kind of experience,

10:54horrific experience it would have been for them,

10:56and the economically lower strata people.

10:59So, there comes a bigger question, you know,

11:02do they do not have the right to breathe in clean air?

11:06And here comes a bigger question for the authorities,

11:09and also the residents of the national capital,

11:12you know, when you realize that with past experience as well,

11:15as well as the climatic conditions not being in your favor,

11:19whether self-restraint was required as well or not.

11:22Back to you.

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