Pollution reaches 59 times WHO limit in Delhi
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Citizen Digital
PM2.5 fine particle concentration reached 879 micrograms per cubic metre in Delhi, nearly 59 times the WHO's recommended daily limit. The peak was recorded after Diwali fireworks, according to IQAir data from a government station.
PM2.5 fine particle concentration reached 879 micrograms per cubic metre on Monday morning in the Mandir Marg district of New Delhi, about eight hours after the peak of the Diwali fireworks, according to monitoring organisation IQAir, which cited data from a Delhi government station. This level represents nearly 59 times the daily limit recommended by the World Health Organization.
The Indian Supreme Court had authorised the limited use this month of so-called “green” fireworks, designed to produce fewer emissions, but the restrictions were widely circumvented during the Hindu festival of lights. Authorities have also imposed restrictions on traffic and construction work in recent weeks to reduce smog in New Delhi, a city of more than 30 million inhabitants.
According to India's Environment Ministry, vehicles account for 23% of winter pollution in Delhi, compared with 20% for biomass burning, notably agricultural residue fires, and around 9% for industry, including coal-fired power plants. Secondary particles, formed by reactions between gases emitted by these different sources, account for 27%.
A study published in 2024 in The Lancet Planetary Health estimated that air pollution had been linked to 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019.
