Kejriwal: Delhi burst fewer firecrackers, air quality after Diwali best in 5 years

“Last evening,crackers started going off around 8.30 pm, but were significantly less than the past few years. Going by data, air pollution levels are better than in the past five years. However, pollution has not ended, it has only seen a reduction. We will have to end it,” Kejriwal said.

Air quality in Delhi post-Diwali this year remained in the “very poor” category, though it improved greatly over the last year.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s National Air Quality Index, at 11 am, Anand Vihar had the worst AQI in Delhi at 362. Last year, the worst AQI recorded in the capital was 642. In 2017, the AQI was 367. In 2016, it was 426, and 327 in 2015.

Referring to the four-day laser show organised by the Delhi government at Connaught Place, he added, “Residents of Delhi have also welcomed the laser show. People turned up in numbers that exceeded our expectations.”

Alleging that some BJP leaders had described the campaign against bursting crackers on Diwali as “anti-Hindu”, Kejriwal said: “BJP people should not mock Delhiites. Mocking people is not a good thing. Everyone knows the contribution of the people of this city in bringing down pollution levels.”

On the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to tackle air pollution that was rolled out earlier this month, Kejriwal said, “The Delhi government is committed to implementing the GRAP. But only we seem to be implementing it. Our agencies don’t have much say when it comes to areas outside the borders of Delhi.”

The CM also said he hoped the pollution doesn’t interfere with the upcoming cricket match at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium — recently renamed the Arun Jaitley stadium — on November 3: “Matches have been held at the stadium in similar conditions before this too. I hope the pollution doesn’t affect the match,” he said.