Why Even A Day Of Bursting Crackers Can Cause Lasting Health Damage

Changes in weather conditions immediately after Diwali do mitigate pollution levels, but one day of incessant smoke inhalation does lasting damage to the health of people, especially children and the elderly, said experts.A day after the nation burst firecrackers to celebrate Diwali, symbolising the victory of virtue over evil, the air quality in Delhi and surrounding cities plummeted to dangerous levels.

Like every year, this issue has sparked a major debate.Bursting firecrackers exposes people in the vicinity to high levels of the most lethal PM2.5, which can have serious health consequences, both short-term and long-term.According to Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), changes in atmospheric conditions during the days following Diwali do remove the highly dangerous and harmful pollutants accumulated in the air due to millions of firecrackers.