Uttar Pradesh: Air quality low, roads filled with garbage post-Diwali revelry

A day after the revelry of Diwali, a blanket of smoke and haze covered parts of the city of Nawabs, Lucknow. The air quality in many areas of the city remains poor on Monday morning.

Post-Diwali celebrations have left the pollution hanging in the air as smoky smog. Roads of the city have also been littered with remains of crackers, boxes of sweets, edibles, beverage bottles and other such waste.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality in Lucknow's Lalbagh was recorded at 292, it was recorded at 248 near Kendriya Vidyalaya and 219 at the Talkatora district industries centre, all in the poor quality.

Streets of Uttar Pradesh's capital city were also seen filled with garbage post last night's celebrations. Locals did not refrain from bursting crackers, observing the practice as part of Indian tradition.

"If we don't burst crackers on Deepawali, how will children know of Indian culture and tradition? How will there be excitement for the festival?," a resident of Lucknow told ANI.

As per the civic bodies, about 50 tonnes of excess waste is collected on the day after Diwali. This is because people wait for the municipal staff to collect the waste and burn the remnants which pollutes the air.

Firecrackers are made from harmful chemical compounds like sulphur, cadmium, mercury, and lead, which release toxic fumes upon burning. The fumes can cause dense smog, making it difficult to breathe.

Although there was a decline in air pollution due to rains that occurred the day before Diwali, the level of air pollution has increased yet again post-Diwali celebrations.

Similarly, the air quality in UP's Kanpur also remained thick with the smoke of fumes, fog, smoke and crackers on Monday morning after the festivities last night.

The national capital Delhi was also engulfed in smog in the early hours of Monday. Garbage was also scattered around on the streets in abundance.

Despite a blanket ban on fireworks in the national capital owing to runaway pollution and worsening air quality, revellers across the city engaged in bursting firecrackers with abandon on Diwali night.

Air pollution levels can be high during the winter months for a number of reasons, including dust and vehicular pollution, dry-cold weather, stubble burning, burning crop residues after the harvest season and commuting.

Cold air is denser and moves slower than warm air, so it traps pollution and doesn't whisk it away. This means that air pollution in winter remains in place for much longer than during the summer.