Capital choked with sulphur, toxic pollutants after Diwali
Though Delhi government's environment department and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee had launched a massive drive to curb the use of fire crackers in the city, the findings indicate their efforts didn't quite work.
With the Diwali crackers comes pollution. The Capital is now choked with sulphur and toxic pollutants that are nearly eight times the prescribed limits. Pollutants like sulphur and other particulate matter being primary emissions from fire crackers, studies have revealed that the maximum average of PM2.5 variant is more than eight times the limit; and PM 10 variant also remains close to eight times the standard limit.
While sulphur dioxide's (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide's (NO2) prescribed standard in a span of 24 hours is 80g/m3, studies revealed that SO2 has shot up beyond. The maximum average of NO2 has certainly shown an increase from last year and has shot up by more than two times the standard limit. Particulate matters PM10 is at 100 g/m3 and PM2.5 is at 60 g/m3.
"Not only do they add to the pollution levels, in the long run, these pollutants cause serious damage to human beings, especially children and elderly who suffer asthma and other respiratory diseases," said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
Though Delhi government's environment department and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had launched a massive drive to curb the use of fire crackers in the city, the findings indicate their efforts didn't quite work.
Experts also added that the noiseless crackers had only added to the pollution levels with sulphur dioxide being the main emission from these crackers.