Delhi’s Air Is Not SAFE For Breathing. Here’s What It Looks Like After A Crackerful Diwali.

If not high, at least hopes were pinned on the fact, that this Diwali Delhi’s pollution levels would stay in check. Courtesy? Cracker ban by the Supreme Court. But, what happened was quite the opposite.

The very next day after Diwali, Delhihites and people in the NCR region woke up to skies engulfed in smog.

Delhi: Morning visuals of India Gate #smog pic.twitter.com/6mPrCZJJzM

— ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2017

Yes, these. These are today’s visuals.

Visuals of #Smog from Delhi's RK Puram pic.twitter.com/xifZDxIXwB

— ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2017

The air is said to be “hazardous” and its severely polluted. It’s said to likely to cause strong irritations and symptoms and may trigger other illnesses. Elders and the sick are advised to stay indoors during such conditions and so are healthy individuals.

Delhi’s RK Puram at 978(Hazardous) on Air Quality Index #AQI pic.twitter.com/nYNGFcginM

— ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2017

The Air Quality Index (AQI) of the regions are very poor and in some areas AQI as bad as 999.

Yay Delhi, we have hit AQI 999. And yes monitors can't read beyond that, world over they r 3 digit ones. Well done folks, we make records. pic.twitter.com/vfnYDLjJdR

— Vimlendu Jha (@vimlendu) October 19, 2017

Not only that, the ban on firecrackers; which was a ban on sale in the region and not on bursting of crackers in the region; seemed to have no positive effect on the city’s air quality, which remains hazardous.

On Diwali, the AQI was recorded to be was 319, which is in “very poor category”. Last year, the index on Diwali, October 30 was 431 on AQI, which was higher than this year.

People of #Delhi woke up to thick #smog a day after #Diwali. #delhipollution #PollutionFreeDiwali @htTweets pic.twitter.com/3XS2mcwrkj

— Burhaan Kinu (@burhaankinu) October 20, 2017

SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) had predicted that after Diwali the air quality of Delhi would improve. But, of course, that didn’t happen.

It was between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. Thursday-Friday morning, that noted the highest cracker-bursting overdrive.

Netizens took to the micro-blogging site to share their two cents. 

1. Sarcasm was pretty evident in some.

https://twitter.com/WoCharLog/status/920317102795374593

2. Some totally disagreed.

Honestly, there is absolutely no smog or bad air floating in Delhi and Gurgaon. In fact, it is much better than last year. #diwali

— OB (@OB_noxious) October 20, 2017

3. Some said that it has been hazardous on other days too.

Day before Diwali it was hazardous too when there was no crackers bursting. pic.twitter.com/aCJmGk8hQd

— Gaurav Varmani 🇮🇳 🚩 (@gauravvarmani) October 20, 2017

4. A section of them found humour in that too.

me: choke me daddy

delhi smog:

first of all, i literally will

— akriti (@AkkeeBakkee) October 17, 2017

5. Richa Chadha took to Instagram to warn all.

View this post on Instagram

Bursting crackers is not about religion/country/politics. It's about this⬆️. To all who burst crackers, you know na that you will be breathing the same air? Your kids, your parents, grandparents, pets, babies?You may lungs too, I dunno about the brain or heart. #Delhi #NH24 #diwalismog to all those who are repeating moronic ideas about why crackers must be allowed – : 1) you don't own the air, we share it. 2) it's actually not mentioned in any religious book that crackers are tradition 3) YOU WILL SUFFER TOO.

A post shared by Richa Chadha (@therichachadha) on Oct 19, 2017 at 9:21pm PDT

AQI level from 0-50 is considered “good”; 51-100 is “satisfactory”; 101-200 is “moderate”; 201-300 is “poor”; 301-400 is “very poor”; and 401 and above is “severe”. So Delhi-NCR is in severe state. And, what are people doing about it? Burning more crackers, creating more vehicular pollution and polluting the air even more.