Delhi: After Diwali, the Air quality in Delhi has dropped a lot. It has become very severe as the AQI has risen to the level of 408 as recorded today at around 7 in the morning. Many people have complained of respiratory illness due to such poor-quality air. What’s making it worse is the unfavorable meteorological conditions that are not allowing the dispersion of air in the capital city. Not only the common people but the Delhi government officials are also worried about the poor air quality in the city.
A leading daily spoke to some locals and they sounded very disappointed with the way firecrackers were burnt during the festive season. “Despite the government’s ban, so many firecrackers were sold leading to this condition post-Diwali. There is so much difficulty in breathing that I cannot even breathe. There is burning in the eyes. Pollution is increasing. The government should take cognizance of it”, said Arjun Prajapati, a resident of Noida.
Another elderly person from the city said, “Amid the baseload of the pollution, we suffer difficulty in breathing, burning in the nose. When we came here for a morning walk, the whole area was covered in smog”.
Apart from the firecrackers burning on Diwali, the locals have also complained about stubble burning from the states of Punjab and Haryana which has contributed to the poor air quality. The AQI in the capital keeps attaining the very severe category which can make healthy people sick as well. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has requested the government to shut the schools till the air quality becomes favorable.