New Delhi Smog Turns Severe After Diwali Despite Firecracker Limits

A thick layer of smog covered New Delhi on Monday morning after residents set off firecrackers for Diwali, pushing air quality into the "severe" category in parts of the Indian capital, according to ABC News and Al Jazeera. The Air Quality Index exceeded 350 in several areas, a level both outlets said poses significant health risks.

The celebrations took place on Sunday evening despite restrictions on fireworks. Fireworks released smoke and fine particulate matter into air that was already heavily polluted, ABC News reported.

Why it matters for people in the Delhi region

New Delhi and its surrounding region are home to more than 30 million people, according to ABC News. Al Jazeera put the city's population at 30 million. For residents, the practical effects are poorer visibility and health risks from breathing fine particles. ABC News said a gray haze covered streets and high-rise buildings, and monitoring stations across the city recorded similarly alarming readings.

The haze can linger over the capital and nearby areas for days, both outlets reported. Al Jazeera said air monitors showed pollution surging to more than 30 times the World Health Organization's recommended daily limit on Wednesday, days before the festival. That means the city entered Diwali with air that was already badly polluted.

What the Supreme Court allowed

In October, India's Supreme Court tried to limit Diwali pollution by restricting conventional firecrackers. It allowed only approved "green firecrackers," under specified conditions, during three-hour windows on Saturday and Sunday.

Both outlets noted that green firecrackers produce fewer emissions but are not free of pollution. ABC News said they still release particulate matter and other pollutants. Reports did not detail how closely the time limits were followed, but ABC News said residents used firecrackers on Sunday evening despite the restrictions.

Why the city's air gets worse every autumn

Fireworks are one factor among several. ABC News said Diwali often falls when the weather turns cooler and when smoke arrives from crop-residue fires in the neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana. After harvesting rice, farmers often burn leftover stalks to clear fields for the next planting, and the smoke drifts toward Delhi.

That smoke joins pollution from vehicles, industry, construction dust and other local sources, according to ABC News. The problem is sharpest in late October and November, when cooler temperatures, low wind speeds and stagnant air keep pollutants from dispersing, both outlets reported.

Al Jazeera cited India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as saying vehicles account for 23 percent of the city's winter pollution. Biomass burning, including farm stubble fires, contributes 20 percent, the ministry said.

What officials have done and what critics say

ABC News reported that city authorities have limited construction activity and restricted diesel generators, while courts have sought curbs on firecrackers. The outlet said these measures have not stopped severe pollution from returning each year.

Environmentalists quoted by ABC News argue that lasting improvement requires longer-term changes, such as cleaner energy and stricter controls on vehicle emissions.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by ABC News, Al Jazeera