The CPCB classifies an AQI between 0 and 50 as ‘good’, 51 and 100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 as ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 as ‘poor’, 301 and 400 as ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 as ‘severe’.
According to the live dashboard of the Central Pollution Control Board, the AQI recorded was well beyond the 300 mark, on Monday morning.
Stations in R K Puram, Nehru Nagar near Lajpat Nagar, Mundka, Sonia Vihar and Dwarka stopped reporting readings for several hours. The disruption came at a time when pollution levels were rising sharply across the city.
Other third party apps like AQI.in showed a monumental surge in the AQI, recording a trend of readings beyond the 1000 mark, making the conditions hazardous in the affected areas.
The cultural impact of Diwali firecrackers, paired with slow moving winter winds and the vehicular emissions draws significant bearings on the environment of the cities across the country.
Despite the Supreme Court’s restrictions on the ban of firecrackers and the temporary use of green firecrackers under strict regulatory conditions, these restrictions rarely shape the consensus in the socio-political sphere of the communities.
While many injuries and deaths have also been reported in the last 24 hours due to bursting of firecrackers and other products, a firm stand maintaining the law and order of the country towards specific cultural celebrations still remains in question.
The DPCC website, which is managed by the Delhi government’s Environment Department, has reportedly stopped displaying readings from monitoring stations on previous Diwali evenings as well.
Such interruptions are generally attributed to technical glitches. However, the recurring unavailability of data during the period when pollution levels rise sharply has raised questions about the reliability and transparency of the monitoring system.
These cultural celebrations do not merely reflect on the environmental conditions of the country but also shape the socio-political sphere in many ways while posing significant threat to life and law and order.
