Photo: AFP
New Delhi claimed the top spot on Friday as the world's most polluted city, with revelers disregarding a ban on firecrackers to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, contributing to hazardous air quality levels. A thick haze enveloped the Indian capital, obscuring the presidential palace in the central district and the surrounding gardens frequented by joggers and cyclists, following Thursday's festivities. The air quality index reached 348, according to Swiss firm IQ Air, classifying the pollution as hazardous and placing Delhi at the top of a real-time list of the world's most polluted cities.
Local government officials have implemented a ban on firecracker use during Diwali and the winter months in recent years, following directives from the Supreme Court. However, enforcing this measure has proven challenging despite the threat of imprisonment. Some groups argue that the ban interferes with the observance of the festival, a stance the Delhi government has previously refuted by stating that the ban is aimed at preserving lives.
The smog on Friday also coincided with the burning of agricultural waste in northern India, a practice that exacerbates air quality at the start of winter each year as cold, dense air traps pollutants from various sources.
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