People walk along the Kartavya Path in front of the India Gate amid heavy smoggy conditions in New Delhi on November 13, 2023. Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP
NEW DELHI: Air pollution shot up again in Delhi to alarming levels on Monday morning as people indulged in bursting crackers and fireworks to celebrate the Diwali festival on Sunday night, despite a strict ban imposed by the Delhi government.
Areas surrounding Delhi also reported hazardous air pollution levels. The Taj Mahal, one of Seven Wonders of the World, situated around 150 miles from Delhi, was seen engulfed by a thick layer of smog.
Days ahead of the Diwali festival, the Delhi government imposed a ban on sale and bursting of crackers and fireworks in the national capital in a bid to keep air pollution in check.
The Delhi Pollution Control Board said that the city saw a sharp spike in pollution levels after the bursting of firecrackers.
"In Anand Vihar area PM 2.5 concentration was within limits till 17:00 hours on Sunday at 56 ppm, but it rose to almost 2,000 ppm by midnight," it said.
Reacting to the ban being flouted, federal lawmaker Manish Tiwari said that the apex court should summon all the state governments and ask them why the ban was not implemented strictly.
