New Delhi, Nov. 9 -- As evening fell across the capital, the government's promises to control pollution quickly faded into a thick layer of smoke. The Supreme Court had set strict rules, allowing people to burn only approved "green" firecrackers on November 7 and 8 during specific hours. However, a walk through the city showed that these rules were almost completely ignored.
In major markets like Sadar Bazaar and Lajpat Nagar, sellers openly traded banned fireworks instead of safe green crackers. Many products lacked official safety labels or proper QR codes, and some even carried instructions written in foreign languages. Despite a heavy presence of Delhi Police and security forces, officers did little to stop illegal sales, with some even browsing the stalls themselves. The lack of action also put vulnerable people at risk. Outside AIIMS Hospital, where hundreds of poor patients and their families sleep on footpaths while waiting for medical treatment, people set off loud crackers late into the night. Even though the law bans fireworks near hospitals, no one stepped in to protect the patients.
By midnight, constant explosions pushed Delhi's air pollution to its worst Diwali level in five years. To make matters worse, several official air quality monitoring stations stopped showing data during the worst hours of the night. This led experts and residents to question whether official reports were hiding the true extent of the toxic air.
"People need to celebrate with some common sense," said Anshuman, a corporate manager. "Bursting crackers all night without caring about others is not celebration it harms everyone."
The night made one thing clear: rules on paper mean nothing without real enforcement on the ground. Until authorities take strict action, Delhi residents will continue to pay for Diwali with their health.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.