Toxi smog envelopes a busy road in DelhiImage: Adnan Abidi/REUTERS
What the air quality index reading looked like
The National Air Quality Index (AQI) surged to 451 on a scale of 500 in Delhi, the maximum that was recorded this year.
This meant that conditions were "severe" enough to affect healthy people and seriously affect those with underlying conditions, according to the federal pollution control board's guidance.
The AQI measures the concentration of fine particular matter, which is known as PM2.5, in a cubic meter of air.
Indians mark Diwali amid pandemic worries
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On Friday, the average concentration of PM2.5 in Delhi was 706 micrograms. For comparison, the World Health Organization's air quality guidelines deem anything above an annual average of 5 micrograms as unsafe.
Additionally, air quality worsens during this time because it coincides with the practice of stubble burning in the farmlands of Delhi's neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana.
Added to that, poisonous pollutants also remain trapped in the air as the windy monsoon season comes to an end and winter sets in.
Indians celebrate Diwali amid COVID
After celebrations in 2020 were largely muted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people across India are taking part in the five-day festival of lights. The holiday symbolizes a fresh start and the triumph of good over evil.
Image: Satyajit Shaw/DW
Millions mark festival of lights
Millions of Hindus worldwide are celebrating Diwali, a celebration which symbolizes new beginnings. While India is the epicenter of the festival, Hindus across Asia and the world are gathering to mark the occasion. Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists also celebrate some version of the holiday.
Image: Kin Cheung/AP Photo/picture alliance
Return of festivities
In 2020, Diwali celebrations were significantly scaled down due to a spike in coronavirus infections. The festivities appear to be back on this year, but the Indian government has asked people to avoid large gatherings. Markets, where people can buy flowers, lanterns and candles ahead of the event, can get particularly crowded.
In the Indian capital, New Delhi, higher levels of pollution from fireworks traditionally used in Diwali celebrations have led to concerns about air quality. The government air quality agency has advised residents to avoid outdoor activities and wear masks when outside. In the lead-up to the festival, police arrested dozens of people for illegally selling firecrackers in the city.
Image: Altaf Qadri/AP Photo/picture alliance
Ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka welcome the holiday
While several religions and ethnicities mark Diwali, each has their own historical events and legends. However, the unifying element of the triumph of good over evil is at the root of the holiday. In Sri Lanka, an ethnic Tamil holds a tray full of the small oil lamps made from clay that are part of the holiday festivities.
People often visit temples and adorn their homes with lights — as seen in this Mumbai slum. Tradition holds that during Diwali, the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, will visit homes that are decorated. Many also have parties with family and friends to celebrate.
Image: Francis Mascarenhas/REUTERS
A rangoli design at the door
In New Delhi, a mother and daughter make a traditional decoration known as a rangoli, which is also part of the traditions around Diwali. The brightly colored designs are drawn outside homes and offices.
Image: Altaf Qadri/AP Photo/picture alliance
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Pollution kills millions annually
Poisonous PM2.5 pollutants can cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases such as lung cancer.
Around 1.67 million deaths were attributed to air pollution in India in 2019, according to the Lancet medical journal.
Almost 17,500 of those deaths were in the capital city.
Unusual rain spells this October brought slight relief as people breathed their cleanest air last month in Delhi in at least four years.
