Dikhyaa Mohanty 
After celebrating Diwali, Delhi is surrounded by acrid smoke due to firecrackers even though the government ban all the firecrackers. The burst of firecrackers leads to a sharp increase in fumes from farm fires due to which the air quality index stood 384 at 4 pm and then entered severe zone around 8 p, as low temperature and wind speed allowed the accumulation of pollutants.
According to the reports, cities like Faridabad had 424, Ghaziabad – 442, Gurgaon- 423 and Noida- 431 after 9 pm on November 4. Even people from several parts of the city and its neighbouring areas complained of itchy throat and watery eyes, as a layer of smog. Even several incidents of high-intensity cracker bursting were reported from Gurgaon and Faridabad.
According to the Experts, the air quality turned severe owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions calm winds, low temperature and low mixing height and a poisonous cocktail of emissions from firecrackers, stubble burning and local sources.
Last year, the share of stubble burning in Delhi’s pollution had peaked at 42 per cent on November 5. In 2019, crop residue burning accounted for 44 per cent of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution on November 1. The contribution of stubble burning in Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration was 32 per cent on Diwali day last year as compared to 19 per cent in 2019.
Under the campaign, action can be taken under relevant IPC provisions and the Explosives Act against anyone found burning crackers. According to the government, more than 13,000 kg of illegal firecrackers have been seized and 33 people arrested so far under the anti-cracker campaign.
