This Diwali, extreme cases of burn injuries were reported from different parts of Delhi while on the other hand there was worrisome rise in the number of people affected by allergy-related problems.

Leading medical professionals from prominent hospitals in Delhi said people from various age groups - children adults, old age people all sustained burn injuries from bursting of crackers.

According to LNJP Medical Superintendent J C Passey, there were about 80 burn cases. Out of these, 78 were minor burn injuries which were reported on Diwali itself. Since the cases were not severe, they were administered first aid and sent home. Two persons were admitted for severe burns on their faces.

In Delhi’s prime medical institutes, Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital and the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), 57 and 26 burn cases were reported on the day of Diwali. According to the doctors, all the cases had minor injuries so they needed less medical attention. However, out of the 26 cases, one was serious. This year, Delhi government and RML hospital authorities tried to create immense awareness about bursting crackers and related injuries through campaigns.

Besides fire-related complications, there was a rise in number of allergy and asthma patients this Diwali. Since the city's air has been polluted for a long time, bursting crackers during Diwali only added to their misery.

Due to Delhi’s filthy air, there’s no dearth of allergy, asthma and respiration-related cases on any given day. Due to pre and post Diwali celebrations, the usual count increases drastically as the particulate matter increases in the air causing serious throat and respiratory repercussions.

According to city’s established pulmonologists, people suffering from bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and other such ailments are more likely to develop such complications during Diwali due to fumes and smoke and pollution. Usually, after 3-4 days, the cases decline but this year smog is prevalent when compared to previous years.

At the premier pulmonary institute in Delhi, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, there was also a rush of patients.

According to a recent WHO report, Delhi comes in top 10 cities which is worst-affected by pollution globally.

According to a new UNICEF report, out of 300 million people around the world, 220 million children in South Asia region including India presently live in areas where outdoor air pollution exceeds international guidelines by at least six times. This equation becomes terrible with the onset of Diwali. Not only this, the smog created post Diwali can severely damage the lungs. It’s high time when we should put a blanket-ban on crackers.