Each year, the seasonal festivities make the air in and around Delhi and surrounding areas thick with smog and suspended particulate matter, leading to residents and children feeling breathless and vulnerable to asthmatic attacks.
Crackers are made of highly toxic heavy metals such as copper, cadmium, lead, manganese, zinc, sodium and potassium.
These metals, if present in the air, can trigger an asthma attack, causing severe headache and respiratory problems, apart from chronic cough.
The permissible level of PM2.5 is 60 g/m³ while PM10 is 100 g/m³. Levels beyond that can cause harm to the respiratory system as the ultra-fine particulates can embed themselves deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.
The ban will play a crucial role in regulating air pollution in the region and reduce the impact on human health. It will ensure that the levels of air pollutants do not reach as high as they did last year around Diwali.
