India's Capital Chokes in Smog after Firework Ban Flouted

People walk on Kartavyapath near India Gate on a hazy morning in New Delhi, India, November 1, 2024.REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis
People walk on Kartavyapath near India Gate on a hazy morning in New Delhi, India, November 1, 2024.REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis
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India's Capital Chokes in Smog after Firework Ban Flouted

People walk on Kartavyapath near India Gate on a hazy morning in New Delhi, India, November 1, 2024.REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis
People walk on Kartavyapath near India Gate on a hazy morning in New Delhi, India, November 1, 2024.REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

India's capital New Delhi was wreathed in poisonous smog Friday, with air pollution worsening after a fireworks ban was widely flouted for raucous celebrations for the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali.

New Delhi's traffic-clogged streets are home to more than 30 million people, and the city is regularly ranked as one of the most polluted urban areas on the planet.

The city is blanketed in cancer-causing acrid smog each year, primarily blamed on stubble burning by farmers in neighboring regions to clear their fields for ploughing, as well as factories and traffic fumes.

But air worsened Friday after a thunderous night of firecrackers lit as part of Diwali celebrations, despite city authorities last month banning their sale and use, AFP reported.

City police had seized nearly two tons of fireworks before Diwali, but the crackers remained readily available for sale in neighboring states.

Many residents celebrated at home, holding a family meal and lighting small candles in praise of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and symbolizing the victory of light over darkness.

Others launched firework rockets and booming crackers, rocking the densely packed city throughout the night.

Police are often reluctant to act against violators, given the strong religious sentiments attached to the crackers by Hindu devotees.

Critics say arguments between rival politicians heading neighboring states -- as well as between central and state-level authorities -- have compounded the problem.

India's Supreme Court last month ruled that clean air was a fundamental human right, ordering both the central government and state-level authorities to take action.

"Delhi's toxic air is killing us softly with its smog," the Times of India wrote in an editorial last week, as the winter pollution returned.

Levels of fine particulate matter -- dangerous microparticles known as PM2.5 pollutants that enter the bloodstream through the lungs -- surged to more than 23 times the World Health Organization recommended daily maximum.

Soon after dawn, pollutant levels topped 345 micrograms per cubic meter, according to monitoring firm IQAir, which listed air in the sprawling megacity as "hazardous".

It rated New Delhi as worst in the world, just above smoke-choked Lahore in neighboring Pakistan, 400 kilometers to the northwest.

The New Delhi government has previously sought to cut pollution by restricting vehicle traffic, including a scheme that only allowed cars with odd or even number license plates to travel on alternate days.

Authorities have also imposed seasonal bans on construction work and on diesel-powered vehicles from entering the city.

"The gravity of the problem is such that incremental changes are insufficient," The Indian Express wrote, criticizing "an unfortunate lack of resolve from both the centre and state governments."



UK Travel Disrupted as Storm Bert Fallout Continues

Waves crash over the harbor arm caused by high winds from Storm Bert in Folkestone, Britain, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Waves crash over the harbor arm caused by high winds from Storm Bert in Folkestone, Britain, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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UK Travel Disrupted as Storm Bert Fallout Continues

Waves crash over the harbor arm caused by high winds from Storm Bert in Folkestone, Britain, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Waves crash over the harbor arm caused by high winds from Storm Bert in Folkestone, Britain, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)

Britain's roads and railways were hit by closures on Monday after Storm Bert battered the country over the weekend, causing widespread flooding and killing four people.

There were more than 200 flood warnings and flood alerts in place across England and Wales, while trains from London to the southwest were cancelled and rail services in central England were severely disrupted.

"Do not attempt to travel on any route today," Great Western Railway, whose trains connect London to Bristol and Cornwall, said on X.

Among those killed during the storm were a dog walker in North Wales and a man who died when a tree hit his car in southern England.

Major roads in Northamptonshire and Bristol were closed, while fallen trees on rail lines cut off services between London and Stansted Airport, Britain's fourth busiest hub.

The disruption comes after Storm Bert hit Britain late on Friday, bringing snow, rain and strong winds.

The Met Office kept a warning for strong winds in place for northern Scotland on Monday and said the storm would clear from that part of the country early on Tuesday.