Air quality in the national capital remained in the very poor category as cracker-bursting continued in several areas.
Firecrackers were burst in several parts of Delhi until late Sunday evening despite government restrictions, according to reports from Hindustan Times and ThePrint. Residents in areas including Pitampura, Burari, Mayur Vihar, and Lutyens' Delhi reported fireworks, with high intensity noted in Burari. Local reports also mentioned non-stop bursting in Jangpura and loud sounds in Rohini past the permitted times.
The district magistrate had issued an order allowing the use of CSIR-NEERI-certified green firecrackers only on November 7 and 8. These permitted windows were limited to the hours of 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm. The Supreme Court had also prohibited firecrackers within 300 metres of silence zones such as hospitals, educational institutions, and nursing homes.
The city's air quality remained in the very poor category, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) for the day settling at 376. At 7 pm, the instantaneous AQI was recorded at 371, while Jahangirpuri recorded the highest level at 460. Of the 59 monitoring stations, 19 were in the severe category at 7 pm.
The Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) has forecast that Delhi's air quality is likely to slip into the severe category from November 9. Experts have attributed the expected deterioration to vehicular emissions, Diwali celebrations, stubble-burning in neighbouring states, and unfavourable meteorological conditions.
