New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta made a public appeal encouraging citizens to celebrate Diwali responsibly. With the city's Air Quality Index surpassing 300, she urged residents to use only government-approved environmentally friendly firecrackers. In a social media post, the Chief Minister expressed enthusiasm about celebrating the festival fully while emphasizing the importance of adhering to environmental guidelines and using certified green fireworks. “After years, the festival of Deepavali in Delhi will once again be celebrated in all its colours and lights. We appeal to everyone to use only certified green firecrackers during this Deepavali and to strictly follow the prescribed guidelines,” she wrote.
Amid Diwali festivities, Delhi's air quality significantly worsened on Monday, October 20. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board's SAMEER application showed that the capital recorded an AQI of 334 at midday, slightly improved from the morning reading of 339. The majority of monitoring locations, 31 out of 38, registered air quality in the 'very poor' range. Three locations experienced particularly hazardous conditions, with Wazirpur recording 423, Ashok Vihar at 414, and Anand Vihar at 402, all falling into the 'severe' category. Following assessments by the Graded Response Action Plan sub-committee and weather predictions from meteorological agencies, authorities implemented Stage II measures across the Delhi-National Capital Region. The city experienced a morning temperature of 20.2°C, with forecasters predicting misty conditions transitioning to clear skies and a maximum temperature of 33°C.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had modified the existing restrictions on firecracker usage in the Delhi-National Capital Region. The court authorized the bursting of environmentally certified firecrackers during specific time windows, between 6 am and 7 am, and again from 8 pm to 10 pm, on October 20 and 21. The ruling, which relaxed the previous complete prohibition, permits the sale of these eco-friendly alternatives from October 15 through October 21, exclusively at designated retail locations throughout the region. These specially designed firecrackers are engineered to produce 20-30% less particulate pollution compared to traditional varieties. However, environmental experts express reservations, noting that these products still emit harmful pollutants and present enforcement challenges regarding their authenticity and proper regulation.
The firecracker manufacturing sector has welcomed the court's decision. Industry representatives pointed to last year's Diwali, when conventional fireworks were widely used despite prohibitions, suggesting that legitimizing green alternatives could help formalize the market and diminish unlawful production activities.
