Indian capital New Delhi chokes with pollution after Deepavali fireworks

Fireworks for Deepavali were followed by a sharp rise in toxic air in New Delhi, where PM2.5 levels reached nearly 59 times the World Health Organisation’s recommended daily maximum. The episode highlights how festival celebrations can intensify the capital’s winter smog, which already poses a major public health challenge.

At a monitoring station in Mandir Marg, PM2.5 reached 879 micrograms per cubic metre early on 9 November, about eight hours after fireworks peaked. Although the Supreme Court permitted limited use of lower-emission “green” firecrackers, restrictions are often ignored. Delhi’s winter pollution also comes from vehicles, biomass burning and industry, while a 2024 study linked air pollution to 3.8 million deaths in India from 2009 to 2019.