Diwali fireworks leave Delhi under thick smog as air quality turns 'severe'

Heavy smog has covered the skies over New Delhi, the capital of India, after smoke from Diwali fireworks filled the air. Air quality in the city has reached severe levels, raising health risks for more than 30 million residents.

Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, was celebrated across India on Sunday. Despite restrictions on fireworks, residents of New Delhi lit firecrackers through Sunday evening, spreading smoke and fine particulate matter into the air.

On Monday morning, the Air Quality Index exceeded 350 in several parts of the capital. Measured against the exposure thresholds recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), this level is categorised as 'severe' and poses significant health risks.

Last month, India's Supreme Court imposed restrictions to limit Diwali pollution. Only approved 'green firecrackers' were allowed within specified three-hour windows on Saturday and Sunday. The approved crackers produce fewer emissions, but they are not pollution-free.

On Wednesday, a few days before Diwali, toxic air pollution in New Delhi had surged to more than 30 times the WHO's recommended daily limit, according to data from air monitors.

New Delhi, home to 30 million people, regularly ranks among the world's most polluted capital cities.

The problem worsens in winter, when cooler temperatures, low wind speeds and stagnant atmospheric conditions prevent pollutants from dispersing.

According to India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, vehicles account for 23 percent of New Delhi's winter pollution, while biomass burning, including farm stubble fires, contributes 20 percent.

As a result, thick haze can linger over the capital and surrounding areas for days.