Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, speaking a day after Diwali, highlighted the impact of firecrackers on the national capital’s air quality over the years. In 2020, PM2.5 levels rose from 414 before Diwali to 435 after the festival, an increase of 21 points. In 2021, the post-Diwali rise was 80 points. In 2024, when conventional firecrackers were banned, PM2.5 increased from 328 to 360, a 32-point rise, Sirsa told a press briefing on Tuesday.

This year, after receiving permission for green firecrackers following a Supreme Court order and a Delhi government request, the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer App recorded a smaller rise: PM2.5 went from 345 before Diwali to 356 after, an increase of just 11 points, the minister pointed out.

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He said, “In 2020, the firec

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