00:00But there's another hell that has broken out, which is the air that we breathe.
00:06Now, just four days ago, Delhi was missing from the list of the world's 20 most polluted cities.
00:11Yes, I've said missing.
00:14Today, the national capital is back in pollution spotlight,
00:17and the numbers should worry every Delhiite this year.
00:20But let me take you back to the 19th of October.
00:22This is right before the share, I remember.
00:2413 of the world's 20 most polluted cities were in India.
00:31Let's put up the list on the screen for our viewers to really see what those top 20 cities were.
00:40In those top 20 cities, you see Bulandşehir ranked at third globally.
00:48You see Agartala was fourth.
00:50Other cities on the top 20 list include Pali in Rajasthan, Muzaffar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.
00:57You have Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh.
00:59You have Rotak in Haryana.
01:00But Delhi did not feature in that top 20 list.
01:03This was 19th of October.
01:08Now, fast forward to 23rd of October.
01:106.30 am, Delhi's AQI stands at 2.92.
01:17That's the poor category edging towards the very poor zone.
01:22And this is when the timing becomes really significant.
01:25Between these two readings came that the Shaira celebrations,
01:28the burning of firecrackers,
01:31and the familiar season shift towards conditions that can trap pollutants closer to the ground.
01:36Yesterday on Five Live, we told you that during the festival,
01:40fireworks can contribute far more to certain pollution components,
01:44even more than stubble burning.
01:46Look at that.
01:4685% spike in PM2.5 because of firecrackers,
01:50and 4% spike to PM2.5 because of stubble burning.
01:55A 2024 IIT Delhi study attributed around 85% there to PM2.5.
02:03And since the Shaira, Delhi NCR has also moved into grab stage 1,
02:07with restrictions and measures aimed at curbing pollution.
02:10Delhi's Environment Minister, Majinder Singh Sirsa,
02:13has called for citizens to join hands in the fight against pollution.
02:17He has urged people not to take polluting vehicles on the road,
02:20curb construction activities, and not burn garbage.
02:22But the question is, are these measures enough?
02:26Enough to keep the air from deteriorating further?
02:30With winter approaching, with pollution levels climbing further,
02:33despite grab restrictions and with the measures on the ground,
02:36are they enough, really, to prevent another season of hazardous air?
02:42Delhi may have missed the world's most polluted list just four days ago.
02:46Imagine that.
02:46Before we burnt all those crackers, we were not on the list.
02:50And right after that, here we are, the most polluted place on the planet.
02:57At the moment, touching 300.
