Despite curbs, Gurugram lights up in firecrackers, wakes to toxic haze

Residents across city neighbourhoods burst crackers past 10 pm, pushing AQI to 371 as police checks failed and citizens complained of suffocating air.

The booms, crackles and whistles of firecrackers rang in Gurugram and its skyline was illuminated on Monday night as the Supreme Court’s restrictions were violated across the city.

From Sushant Lok to Sohna Road, rules were ignored on Diwali night; activists decried weak enforcement and the myth of ‘green crackers’. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

On Diwali night, residents said, it felt like there were no rules. By 2am, thick smog blanketed the city, locals said, with the AQI plunging into the “very poor” category.

Seemingly indifferent to the rules and environmental concerns, from upscale condominiums to middle-class colonies, across neighbourhoods like Sohna Road, Dwarka Expressway, Sushant Lok, South City 1 and 2, Southern Peripheral Road, Sector 56, and Palam Vihar, people continued to burst crackers well past the Supreme Court deadline of 10 pm.

Smog engulfs Gurugram on Tuesday morning. (Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

“There were barricades, police patrols, and even announcements, but no one cared,” said Kavita Gupta, a resident of Sector 31. “It felt like there was no law for one night. Everyone talks about pollution the next morning — but when it comes to bursting crackers, they forget everything.”

There were limited checks by the police or the administration, and even Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) admitted they couldn’t enforce restrictions within their premises.

“We asked residents to avoid crackers, but who listens?” said Rohit Malhotra, an RWA member from Sushant Lok. “It’s impossible to control when everyone in the neighbourhood decides to do the same thing,” he added.

As a result, the city woke up to a toxic haze, with residents complaining of breathing problems and burning eyes. Air quality monitors installed by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board showed PM2.5 levels several times above the permissible limit by midnight.

On Tuesday afternoon, the average AQI for Gurugram was in the “very poor” category, at 371 (at 10pm).

Around 10pm, the Sector 51 monitoring station operated by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) recorded an AQI of 441, the Gwal Pahari station run by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) logged 353, and the Vikas Sadan station (also under HSPCB) registered 319, officials said.

This comes even as only two of four continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) were operational in the city. On Sunday, HT reported that the Teri Gram and Vikas Sadan units remained non-functional due to technical issues and delays in maintenance handover.

“It was suffocating,” said Ravi Khanna, a resident of DLF Phase 3. “You couldn’t see beyond 10 metres on the road. My elderly mother had to use a nebuliser twice last night. We were literally breathing poison.”

Environmental groups, too, expressed outrage at the blatant disregard for court orders. Ruchika Sethi Takkar, founder of Citizens for Clean Air, said the “toxic haze shrouding Gurgaon is a grim reminder of our collective failure to prioritise clean air”.

“Despite regulations, firecrackers continued to ravage our air quality, leaving residents gasping for breath. Dealers openly flouted rules, boasting of selling conventional crackers while ‘green crackers’ — which still emit pollutants — were marketed as safe,” she said.

She questioned the lack of urgency in tackling air pollution, comparing it to the swift enforcement seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Why is there no seriousness when it comes to air pollution — one of the biggest killers? Breathing PM2.5 levels multiple times the safe limit is a health hazard. Remember, emissions from firecrackers also contain heavy metals. The only ‘green’ this Diwali was the money exchanged between buyers and sellers.”

In response, Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Ajay Kumar said enforcement teams had been deployed across the district and that, compared to previous years, the city witnessed “a more peaceful Diwali”.

Calls for accountability

Gauri Sarin, founder of Making Model Gurugram, called for stronger enforcement and transparency in pollution data. “Authorities must publish accurate AQI readings before and after Diwali to show the true impact. We can’t keep hiding behind hazy numbers.”

She added that the Supreme Court should “enforce its own orders strictly” and consider a complete ban on crackers if violations continue every year. “The issue should not be linked to religion — Diwali’s true spirit lies in lighting lamps, not smoke. Firecrackers have become a health and civic hazard.”

Sarin also raised doubts about “green crackers,” saying they still cause nearly 70% of the pollution of traditional ones. “This is not about Hinduism or politics — it’s about public health and responsibility,” Sarin added.

DCP Kumar, meanwhile, said that, overall, there had been limited bursting of crackers.

“There was a strict two-day sale window this time, which helped reduce the quantity of crackers people could buy. Many returned because of the long queues. That limited the overall scale of bursting,” Kumar said. “However, enforcement still needs to be strengthened. Awareness and self-discipline are key if we want cleaner air,” the DCP added.

On Tuesday morning, the air hung heavy with the smell of burnt crackers as sweepers cleared heaps of cracker waste. Many residents admitted to celebrating despite knowing the risks. “We know it’s wrong, but Diwali without fireworks feels incomplete,” said Amit Mehta, a resident of Palam Vihar.

For others, the night symbolised a deeper problem. “The irony is painful — we talk about pollution all year, then light the sky on fire for one night of joy,” said Priya Bansal, a teacher in Sector 23.