Delhi. October 25: Firecrackers were burst by people in many parts of Delhi on Diwali night, flouting the ban imposed on it by the city government.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai last week had said bursting of firecrackers on Diwali in the national capital will attract a jail term up to six months and a fine of Rs 200.
Despite legal deterrent in place to discourage people from doing so, by dusk, residents in many neighborhoods, including some areas in south Delhi and northwest Delhi, had started bursting crackers. Even high-intensity firecrackers could be heard going off on ground, or mid-air.
Diwali is being celebrated across the country on Monday. Bursting of firecrackers on this auspicious day is an old tradition, but authorities in the city had said the decision to restrict it was taken after considering environmental concerns and health hazards associated with it.
Delhi’s air quality turned “very poor” on Monday amid an increase in stubble burning, bursting of firecrackers and moderately unfavourable meteorological conditions which allowed accumulation of pollutants.
However, the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 312 was still the second best for the Diwali day in seven years. Before this, the city recorded an AQI of 281 on Diwali in 2018.
Experts fear that if volume of firecrackers burst goes up again this year, the air quality is likely to dip further.
In case firecrackers are burst like last year, the air quality may plunge to “severe” levels on the night of Diwali itself and continue to remain in the “red” zone for another day, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) had earlier predicted.
However, despite the ban in place, people burst firecrackers with impunity in various areas of the city, staring around 6 pm.
