With the cracker ban enforcement going up in smoke on Diwali, many parts of Delhi and NCR recorded AQI levels of 999 on Diwali night. Loud cracker sounds could be heard all across DelhiNCR till midnight as people celebrated Diwali. The ban by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) on the manufacturing, storage, sale, and use of firecrackers until January 1, 2025, seemed to have very little impact with crackers openly being sold and purchased in all the four NCR cities with zero enforcement by authorities.
With many already having cough and cold and some even suffering already suffering from respiratory disorders like asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the severe or hazardous AQI levels post Diwali are likely to make things worse. LocalCircles, which had conducted a survey on October 19th soon after GRAP 1 was imposed in Delhi to find out what people were experiencing has conducted a new survey which concluded on November 1st morning (post Diwali) to understand what they are currently experiencing in regards to health ailments and their coping mechanism going forward. The survey received over 21,000 responses from residents of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad.
63% respondents were men while 37% respondents were women. The survey first asked residents of Delhi NCR, “What are all the ailments you or members of your family in Delhi NCR are now experiencing due to the air pollution?” Some among 10,829 who responded to the que.