Delhi's air quality worsened due to surge in farm fires, bursting of crackers on 'purpose' says Gopal Rai

New Delhi: Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday said that Delhi's air quality had deteriorated due to a surge in farm fires and some people bursting firecrackers on purpose on Diwali despite a ban on it.

He alleged that the BJP made people burst firecrackers on Diwali on Thursday.

Rai said Delhi's base pollution has remained the same. Only two factors have been added firecrackers and stubble burning.

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"A large number of people did not burst firecrackers. I thank them all. But some people burst firecrackers on purpose. The BJP made them do it," he told reporters.

The minister said the number of farm fires has risen to 3,500 and its impact is visible in Delhi.

According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality forecast agency SAFAR, stubble burning accounted for 36 percent of Delhi's PM2.5 on Friday, the highest so far this season.

"The overall air quality of Delhi plunged to the upper end of the severe category with additional firework emissions. The share of stubble emissions has peaked today at 36 percent," said Gufran Beig, the founder project director of SAFAR.

On Thursday, farm fires accounted for 25 percent of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution.

Last year, the share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution had peaked at 42 percent on 5 November. In 2019, crop residue burning accounted for 44 percent of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution on 1 November.

The contribution of stubble burning to Delhi's PM2.5 concentration was 32 percent on Diwali last year as compared to 19 percent in 2019.

A thick layer of acid smog engulfed the Delhi-NCR region on Friday following the rampant bursting of firecrackers on Diwali night amid a rapid increase in fumes from stubble burning.

Ahead of the festive season, the Delhi government had announced a complete ban on firecrackers till 1 January, 2022. It ran an aggressive campaign against the sale and use of firecrackers.

Delhi's air quality index (AQI), which entered the 'severe' category last night, continued its upward trend and stood at 462 at 12 pm on Friday.

The neighbouring cities of Faridabad (460), Greater Noida (423), Ghaziabad (450), Gurugram (478) and Noida (466) also recorded 'severe' air quality at 12 pm.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.