‘Cleanest post-Diwali air since 2015 possible if cracker burning halved’

NEW DELHI: If the people of Delhi cut down their cracker craze to just half of what they had burnt in each of the last two years, the city might breathe the cleanest postDiwali air since 2015, thanks to favourable weather.

The prediction is by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the union ministry of earth science’s weather and air pollution forecast wing.

While SAFAR predicted that the air quality will plummet and enter the “severe” category on Monday, the day after Diwali, the weather conditions were favourable enough to disperse the pollutants by the next day (Tuesday, October 29). The rider: Delhi must cut down on crackers by at least 50% of that it burnt on an average in 2017 and 2018.

In 2018, Delhi recorded “very poor” air with the air quality index (AQI) at 390 the day after Diwali (November 8), and in 2017 it was “severe” with an AQI of 403 (October 20). In 2016, the day after Diwali (October 31) was “severe” at 445 AQI. Air quality remained dangerously high for a week immediately after Diwali in these years.

If no crackers are burnt this time, the air quality is expected to remain in the mid range of the “very poor” category.

Gufran Beig, programme director at SAFAR, said that the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi is expected to dip on Monday. “However, strong surface winds on Monday and Tuesday will disperse the pollutants. This is mainly because of the approaching western disturbance,” said Beig. “The western disturbance is expected to retreat from October 29. This will bring moisture and bring down temperature. This is not ideal for Delhi’s pollution situation. However, the impact of Diwali pollution will be washed away before the wind slows.”

He said this two-day window on Monday and Tuesday post-Diwali will benefit Delhiites. The forecast also says that the levels of PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 micrometres) this year will be nearly 50% less compared to 2018. Last year at the SAFAR stations, the PM 2.5 levels on the day after Diwali was recorded as 680ug/ m3, while this year it is expected to be around 370ug/m3.

The limited availability of newly launched ‘green crackers’ could help Delhi reduce the cracker emissions. With the manufacturers and traders still struggling to bring the eco-friendly varieties to the market, the sale of crackers has witnessed a slump this time, traders complained.