Setroka misy poizina manenika an'i Delhi taorian'ny fetiben'ny Hindu

• On Friday morning, India’s Air Quality Index surged, reaching astounding 459 on a scale of 500.
• The contamination in Delhi on Friday was at least 10 times higher than the contamination in London.  
• The concentration of poisonous particulate matter PM2.5, which can cause cardiovascular and respiratory disease, also hit exceedingly dangerous levels. 

India’s Air Quality Index surged, reaching 459 on a scale of 500 today, indicating ‘severe’ air pollution – the highest figure recorded this year.

According to online resources, the contamination in Delhi was at least 10 times higher than in London today.

The residents of India’s capital city have woken up on Friday morning to find their city under a blanket of toxic smog, after revelers defied a ban on the use of fireworks as millions celebrated the Hindu festival of lights last night.

The concentration of poisonous particulate matter PM2.5, which can cause cardiovascular and respiratory disease, also hit exceedingly dangerous levels. The World Health Organization considers annual PM2.5 levels above five micrograms as unsafe, yet on Friday, the 20-million-strong metropolis saw its average citywide reading reach 706 micrograms. The Indian Express reported that PM2.5 levels measured a whopping 1,553 micrograms at 1am on Friday.  

Sarin'i Delhi shared online show a dense white smog resting above the capital, with visibility greatly reduced. 

Delhi has the worst air quality of all world capitals, but Friday’s readings were particularly bad because city residents had celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, on Thursday night. Many had defied the ban on fireworks, adding more toxic fumes to air already poisoned by perennial sources. 

While the practice is highly restricted, stubble fires – the process of intentionally setting fire to leftover crops to prepare for the next cycle – also contributes to the deadly levels of air pollution at this time of year. The timing of Diwali coincides with that of the fires, as the festival is held at the end of the summer harvest. 

Araka ny SAFAR, an air-quality monitoring initiative under the auspices of the federal Ministry of Earth Sciences, stubble fires contribute around 35% of Delhi’s PM2.5 levels.

On Friday, it warned Delhi residents not to undertake exercise and to avoid walks. It said dust masks would not offer sufficient protection and advised that all windows should be closed and homes should not be vacuumed, but wet-mopped instead.