Delhi has best air quality after Diwali in last 5 years: Minister Gopal Rai

“People of Delhi were very thoughtful on Diwali this year and I want to thank them. Today, the pollution level is the lowest in five years,” Rai told reporters on the sidelines of an event where he launched 150 mobile anti-smog guns.

According to the minister, anti-smog cannons will be placed in 40 areas of the capital where air pollution is high.

He added that there has been a decline of 30 per cent in pollution level as compared to the previous year. “The AQI of 323 is still worrying and tells us that air pollution will increase in the coming days,” he said.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

Patting the back of sister government of Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab, Rai further claimed that the Punjab government controlled stubble burning in the state without support from the Centre.

“Punjab reported 1,019 incidents of stubble burning on Diwali day (Monday) as compared to 3,032 on Diwali last year.

“On the other hand, farm fires have increased in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

Despite ban on firecrackers in the national capital, people flouted the rules as a large number of high-decibel crackers thundered throughout Diwali night on Monday.

Environment Minister Gopal Rai last week had said bursting firecrackers in the national capital on Diwali will attract a jail term of up to six months and a fine of ₹200.

Despite the legal deterrent in place, people in many parts of the city, including in south and northwest Delhi, started bursting crackers by dusk. High-intensity firecrackers could be heard going off on the ground or mid-air.

And, as the night progressed the intensity of firecrackers increased breaching permissible decibel limits, prompting some to wonder “if there was any ban at all”.

(With inputs from agencies)