Millions of Indians across the country switched off lights at their homes and lit candles, diyas or turned on mobile phone torches on Sunday night, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to show the nation’s “collective resolve and solidarity” in its fight against coronavirus. (Express photo: Javed Raja) Millions of Indians across the country switched off lights at their homes and lit candles, diyas or turned on mobile phone torches on Sunday night, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to show the nation’s “collective resolve and solidarity” in its fight against coronavirus. (Express photo: Javed Raja)

The capital’s air quality plunged Sunday evening, after several residents went a step ahead in heeding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to light diyas by setting off firecrackers.

Data from six monitoring stations of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee showed concentration of PM 2.5 and PM 10 spiked suddenly after 9pm, when firecrackers were set off. A Delhi environment department official said, “The spike was due to firecrackers, as currently there is no other source of emission.”

PM2.5 is produced from combustion. Its concentration at Patparganj was 53 µg/m3 at 9pm, but more than doubled an hour later to 125 µg/m3 — higher than the acceptable levels of 60 µg/m3. At Dwarka, PM2.5 levels were also 53 µg/m3 at 9pm and increased to 127 µg/m3 at 10pm.

Setting off firecrackers on the ground also releases dust, which is a source of PM10. Its concentration at Mandir Marg rose to 172 µg/m3 at 12 am from 96 µg/m3 at 9 pm, much higher than acceptable standard of 100 µg/m3.

Delhi Police, however, received no complaints regarding bursting of crackers Sunday, an officer said: “We will take action if someone files a complaint.”

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