[1/6]A dog crosses a street on a smoggy morning in New Delhi, India, November 13, 2023. Portal/Anushree Fadnavis acquires license rights
NEW DELHI, Nov 13 (Portal) – Two Indian cities, along with New Delhi, were among the top 10 in the world for pollution on Monday morning. Heavy smoke hung in the air a day after revelers set off fireworks for Diwali, the annual Hindu festival.
As is often the case, the capital New Delhi took the top spot. According to the Swiss group IQAir, it had an air quality index (AQI) of 420, putting it in the “hazardous” category.
The top 10 also included Kolkata in eastern India, which came in fourth place with an AQI of 196, while the financial capital Mumbai came in eighth place with an AQI of 163.
An AQI value of 400-500 affects healthy people and is dangerous for people with existing diseases, while an AQI value of 150-200 causes discomfort for people with asthma, lung and heart problems. Values from 0-50 are considered good.
A thick layer of smog began circulating in New Delhi on Sunday night, with the AQI reaching an alarming 680 just after midnight.
Every year authorities impose bans on fireworks in the capital, but rarely do these bans appear to be enforced.
Air quality in India deteriorates every year before winter, when cold air traps pollutants from vehicles, industry, construction dust and the burning of agricultural waste.
New Delhi authorities postponed an earlier decision to restrict vehicle use after a brief spell of rain on Friday provided some relief from a week of exposure to toxic air.
The local government plans to review the decision after Diwali.
Reporting by Tanvi Mehta; Edited by Edwina Gibbs
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