After Diwali celebrations, intoxication in the air at its peak in Delhi

Delhi has turned into a smog city the morning after the Hindu festival of Diwali, when hundreds of thousands of people in the Indian capital celebrate by setting off crackers and fireworks.

Delhi, which is one of the world’s most polluted cities, already has poor air quality due to road dust, open fires, vehicle exhaust fumes, industrial emissions and crop burning in neighbouring states. But the density of some harmful particles and droplets in the air drastically magnifies post Diwali and can slash all safety limits (42 times this year).

An air quality station at Chanakyapuri, recorded a PM2.5 level of 999 on the day after Diwali. India’s pollution control board sets the safe limit for PM2.5 - which measures particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres - at 60.

When compared with Delhi, London’s PM2.5 level recorded on Monday morning was 139. However, on an average day, this figure revolves around 16.

PM2.5 particles and droplets are considered to be the most harmful kind of air pollution because they are fine enough to evade the body’s natural filters, penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Children are worst affected with the rise in PM2.5 levels. Short-term exposure can trigger coughing and eye/throat irritation, while longer term exposure is strongly associated with reduced lung function, heart disease, lung damage and lung cancer.

In 2015, a study revealed that Delhi’s 4.4 million school children had compromised lung capacity and will never be able to recover from it.

According to WHO, India also has the world’s highest rate of death from respiratory disease, five times that of the UK and twice that of China.

Delhi’s air remains so polluted throughout the year that it doesn’t really have room for additional pollution during Diwali. According to experts, smog released by the fireworks was worsened by the seasonally cooler temperature and slowing winds, which meant the air doesn’t blow away and all the pollution that happens inside the city gets trapped at the ground level, very close to the noses.

Where we still have a lot more to do is to encourage people to find solutions to the problem. We need to understand that controlling pollution requires some tough decisions, and the government has a big role to play.