Air quality in New Delhi drops drastically during Diwali celebrations

As revellers celebrate Diwali with firecrackers galore, pollution has reached critical levels in the national capital. According to the World Air Quality Index, the Air Quality Index (AQI) at the US Consulate in New Delhi was measured at 547 at 10:00 pm. 

The website, found here, is a real-time visual representation of air pollution levels across the word. In India, it pulls data from the U.S. Embassy and Consulates' Air Quality Monitor, and the India National Air Quality Index. The scale goes from 0-50, the most optimal range, all the way to 300+, ominously labelled "hazardous". So, comparing New Delhi's whopping 547 with Beijing's current average of 190, we've got a big problem on our hands. Luckily, we should likely see a drop in those levels once the celebrations wind down; our minimum in the past two days was sitting at a bearable 173. 

The Meteorological Department of India (IMD) had yesterday cautioned that pollution level during Diwali is expected to be severe due to the bursting of firecrackers and had advised people with heart and lung diseases to stay indoors.