NEW DELHI: Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday criticised those who burst firecrackers beyond the 10 pm limit on Diwali, calling it “irresponsible” behaviour. He emphasized that while firecrackers contributed to air pollution, they were not the sole cause of the spike in pollution levels in the national capital.
“Delhiites should have strictly followed the Supreme Court guidelines allowing firecrackers only until 10 pm. Violating this was a clear disregard for the court’s directive,” Sood said. Air quality levels saw a sharp decline post-Diwali, with Anand Vihar in East Delhi recording an AQI of 943 at 5 am, and Shahdara reaching 390. Out of 38 air monitoring stations in the city, 35 fell into the ‘red zone,’ indicating ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ air quality.
Sood urged citizens to celebrate festivals responsibly and in compliance with legal norms. He also appealed to support government’s initiatives to increase green cover.