The impact assessment of diwali firecrackers emissions on air quality in Delhi, India: a comparative study of eight consecutive years (2017–2024)

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of weather conditions specifically relative humidity (RH), temperature, wind speed (WS), and wind direction (WD) on air quality in Delhi during the Diwali festival. It analyzes PM_2.5 concentrations over an eight-year period during Diwali festival (2017–2024) at three key monitoring stations: IHBAS, DMS, and NSUT. The analysis reveals significant increases in PM_2.5 levels before, during, and after Diwali, with peak concentrations occurring during the festival due to firecracker usage. Meteorological factors, particularly RH, temperature, and WS, were found to significantly influence pollution spikes, with a strong correlation between these variables and Diwali-related air quality changes. In particular, the highest pollution levels were recorded during the night and early morning hours of Diwali, for exceeding the standard 24-hour limit of 60 µg/m³. The study also evaluates the accuracy of predictive models for air quality during Diwali, confirming that weather conditions, along with human activities, play a key role in forecasting pollution levels. The findings highlight the importance of incorporating environmental factors such as WS and WD along with Temp & RH and event based variable into predictive models for air quality and urban planning, especially during festive periods in Delhi. The results underscore the growing challenge of air pollution in the region and suggest that improving prediction models could help mitigate the adverse effects of seasonal air pollution, benefiting public health and environmental policies.