As expected, there was a sharp rise in Delhi’s air-pollution levels
on the morning after Diwali. However, the situation was better than last
year, when a blanket of toxic smog engulfed the city, taking air
pollution levels to the "emergency category". In comparison, air
quality was tagged at "very poor" on Diwali day, and "severe" on
Friday evening, a day after Diwali. Ironically, this is the least
hazardous situation in the past three years.
Despite this, however, many morning walkers, especially senior
citizens, decided to stay away from neighbourhood parks for two days
after Diwali to avoid inhaling toxic air.
VS Rawat, a senior resident of Parivar Apartments in IP Extension,
said, “We spend two hours in the morning and two and a half hours in the
evening at the neighbourhood park every day. We walk, do some yoga or
just chat with friends and neighbours. But given the poor air quality
after Diwali, we decided to stay at home for at least two days, hoping
things would get better after that.”
AK Pandey, a resident of Vasundhara Enclave, however, felt this
year's post-Diwali morning was "much better in comparison to last year".
He said, "The Supreme Court's ban on the sale of firecrackers worked.
We hope the air quality will get better in a few days.”
That said, it definitely seems like it has been a cleaner and a less
noisy Diwali, if not the pollution-free festival we all hope it will be
some day.
