With a toxic smog beginning to envelop New Delhi as winter approaches, residents of the Indian capital are set to make matters a lot worse by burning hundreds of thousands of firecrackers to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali early next month.
India, which has the world's 14 most polluted cities, has made little effort this year to curb the sale of ear-splitting firecrackers that explode through Diwali night. The smoke from them shrouds New Delhi and its satellite cities in a haze that can linger for days as wind speeds drop in the cooler weather, adding to pollution caused by the burning of crop residue, vehicle emissions and industrial gases.
Authorities, reluctant to step in to curb the rampant use of firecrackers on Diwali, one of the most important festivals for millions of Hindus across the country, are passing the buck to the Supreme Court to restrict the sale and use of fireworks.