On the night of Diwali (Diwali 2023), the Delhi Fire Service faced a total of 208 fire-related calls on 12th November. Chief of the Delhi Fire Service Department, Atul Garg, reported that between 6 pm and 10:45 pm, 100 incidents of small, medium, and severe fires were reported. No injuries were reported, but major fire incidents occurred in Sadar Bazaar, East of Kailash, and Tilak Nagar. The incidents extended to NCR areas as well, with 22 calls attributed to firecrackers.
Diwali Night Fire Incidents
In Deputy Ganj of Sadar Bazar, Central Delhi, a massive fire broke out in a warehouse, requiring 22 fire tenders two hours to control. Another fire engulfed half a dozen shops in Tilak Nagar, West Delhi, while an incident occurred in Sultanpuri in outer Delhi. Despite these incidents, Director General Atul Garg assured that there were no untoward incidents reported from any location.
Deputy Ganj Warehouse Blaze and Tilak Nagar Shops Fire
Anticipating Diwali risks, fire personnel were on high alert, with Delhi Police also maintaining vigilance. The authorities remained vigilant on the following day, instructing all fire station personnel to be alert and respond promptly to any information.
In a surprising turn, Delhi’s air quality on Diwali recorded the best in 8 years, with an AQI of 218 at 4 pm on Sunday. However, pollution levels increased on Monday due to firecracker burning and low nighttime temperatures. The Central Pollution Control Board data revealed a significant improvement, with the 24-hour average AQI at 220, the lowest on the day before Diwali in the last eight years. This improvement was attributed to intermittent rain on Friday and favorable wind speeds, contrasting the previous two weeks of ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ air quality, marked by a suffocating smog in the capital.
