Fewer crackers, strict enforcement result in 30pc reduction in air pollution on Diwali night: DPCC

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee on Monday said less fireworks, rigorous night patrolling and enforcement measures to curb instigators reduced the PM2.5 and PM10 levels by 30 per cent on Diwali night this year when compared to 2018.

The decline in emissions of dangerous PM10 and PM2.5 particles across Delhi ranged from 20 to 50 per cent, indicating the air quality was better than previous years, DPCC said in a statement.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal credited people for the reduction in pollution over the years and said a lot more has to be done to reduce it further. His Environment Minister Kailash Gahlot said sustained government efforts and active participation of people helped.

 

"Delhi has done it once again...Significant reduction of 30 % in Pollution Levels on next day of Diwali as that of 2018. Sustained efforts of Delhi Govt @ArvindKejriwal since 2015 has yielded these results. Would not have been possible without active participation of everybody (sic)," Gahlot tweeted.

The autonomous regulatory body DPCC said the peak level of PM2.5 tiny particulate matter equal to or less than 2.5 microns in diameter that can enter deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream was 1,070 micrograms per cubic metre (g/m3) at Diwali midnight.

Last year, it was 1,560 g/m3

a reduction of around 30 percent.

"The peak level of PM10, which was 1,859 g/m3 on Diwali night last year, came down to 1,391 g/m3 again a drop of 30 percent," the DPCC said in a statement.

The concentration of sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide was also within the acceptable levels at all stations this Diwali.

"As against the acceptable level of 80 g/m3, the SO2 concentration remained between 1.76 (at Mandir Marg) and 41.48 (at Jahangirpuri) much below the unsafe limit," it said.

"The significant drop of about 30 percent in PM2.5, SO2 and CO shows that people have burnt much less firecrackers this year and have contributed to the overall improvement," DPCC said.