No firecrackers! Kejriwal and ministerial colleagues to perform Lakshmi Puja on Diwali

As the air quality in Delhi dropped to the ‘severe’ zone, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged people to avoid bursting firecrackers this Diwali.

Addressing a webcast on Thursday, Kejriwal said the rising air pollution in the city is also contributing to the spike in Covid-19 numbers. “The COVID-19 situation is deteriorating in the city due to rising air pollution.

H also informed that he along with his Cabinet colleagues will perform Lakshmi Puja this Diwali to bring positive vibes across the city. “We will celebrate Diwali together. But we will not burst crackers at any cost; bursting crackers amounts to playing with the lives of our own children and family members, he said as reported by The Indian Express. On Diwali Day, we will hold Lakshmi Puja together from 7.39 pm,” he said.

The rituals will be telecast by TV channels, he said, so that the Delhi people can also participate in the event remotely. He further appealed to people to switch on TV on Diwali Day and listen to chants of the priests and participate in the puja. “I believe when the two crore people of Delhi will chant the mantras, welcome home Lord Rama from his 14 years exile, then it will generate positive vibes across Delhi,” Kejriwal said, as reported by The Indian Express.

For the past few years, it has been noticed that Delhi’s air quality plummets to dangerous levels around Diwali due to the bursting of firecrackers.

Today morning at 8 am, PM10 levels in Delhi-NCR was 561 microgram per cubic meter (µg/m3) at 8 am—the highest since November 15 last year, when it was 637 µg/m3, as reported by PTI, citing according to CPCB data. PM10 levels below 100 µg/m3 are considered safe in India. It may be noted that Delhi’s air quality has dropped to ‘severe’ zones for the past few days due to raging farm fires.

According to the experts, the initiative by the Delhi government will set an example and may inspire people to avoid bursting firecrackers this Diwali, hence, contributing to the fight against air pollution.