NEW DELHI: Fireworks set off during celebrations for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, could further worsen air quality in the Indian capital this week, officials said on Tuesday, offsetting a reduction in burning of farm waste in nearby states.
Rated the world’s most polluted capital by Swiss group IQAir for four years in a row, New Delhi was the world’s second most polluted city on Tuesday, the group’s live rankings showed, after Lahore in neighboring Pakistan.
“The incidents of stubble burning are decreasing, but ... the smoke created by firecrackers needs to be controlled,” Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai told news agency ANI, calling for further monitoring of the burning of farm waste.
The annual practice of burning crop stubble left after harvesting paddy to clear fields for wheat planting is widely blamed for toxic pollution in the region before winter, causing disruptions such as school closures and construction curbs.
But people often flout Delhi’s ban on smoke-emitting firecrackers, usually burnt in celebration of the festival which runs from Wednesday to Friday this year, worsening pollution.
Delhi’s air quality was 273 on Tuesday, the Central Pollution Control Board’s index showed, far exceeding a rating below 50 that is considered to be ‘good’.
From Wednesday to Friday, the index is expected to be in ‘very poor’ territory from 301 to 400, but may drop to ‘severe’ in the index range of 401 to 500, fed by fumes from burning firecrackers and waste fires, the earth sciences ministry said.
Air quality is likely to be in the very poor to severe category for six days from Saturday, the ministry added.
Farm fire incidents have fallen this year, however, the agriculture ministry said, to stand down 35 percent in Punjab and 21 percent in Haryana — both breadbasket states — compared to the corresponding period in 2023.
Data from the earth sciences ministry showed that stubble burning’s contribution to pollution dropped in the last week, to reach barely 3 percent on Monday from 16 percent on Wednesday, with greater contributions from other sources, such as vehicles.
Last week, the Supreme Court urged authorities in Delhi and adjoining states to tackle the toxic air, saying living in a pollution-free environment was a “fundamental right.”
Diwali fireworks could worsen air in Indian capital, despite fewer farm fires
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Diwali fireworks could worsen air in Indian capital, despite fewer farm fires
- The annual practice of burning crop stubble left after harvesting paddy to clear fields for wheat planting is widely blamed for toxic pollution in the region
Multiple victims reported in shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE, R.I.: Multiple people were shot Saturday in the area of Brown University, police said, as the Ivy League school issued an active shooter alert and urged students and staff to take shelter during the second day of final exams.
Police did not immediately release details about the number of victims, their conditions or the circumstances of the shooting.
University officials initially told students and staff that a suspect was in custody, before later saying that was not the case and that police were still searching for a suspect or suspects, according to alerts issued through Brown’s emergency notification system.
The reported shooting occurred near the Barus & Holley building, a seven-story complex that houses the university’s School of Engineering and physics department. According to the university’s website, the building includes more than 100 laboratories, dozens of classrooms and offices.
President Donald Trump said late in the afternoon that he has been briefed on the shooting.
“God bless the victims and the families of the victims!” he said on his social media site.
Students were urged to shelter in place as police responded to the scene, and people were told to avoid the area. A police officer warned media to take cover in vehicles because the area was still an active scene.
Officials cautioned that information remained preliminary as investigators worked to determine what had occurred.
Police were actively investigating and still gathering information from the scene, said Kristy DosReis, the chief public information officer for the city of Providence. The FBI said it was assisting in the response.
Brown is a private institution with roughly 7,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate students. Saturday was the second day of final exams for the fall semester.
