Men’s ODI World Cup: BCCI prohibits use of firecrackers in Delhi, Mumbai match over deteriorating AQI

The Board of Cricket Council of India (BCCI) has put a ban on the use of fireworks during the remaining World Cup matches in Delhi and Mumbai over the deteriorating Air Quality Index (AQI) in these two cities.

Mumbai will be hosting two of the league matches on November 2 (India vs Sri Lanka), November 7 (Australia vs Afghanistan), and the semi-final on November 15, whereas Delhi will be hosting its last league match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on November 6.

BCCI is sensitive to environmental concerns. I took up the matter formally with the ICC and there won’t be any fireworks display in Mumbai, which can add to the pollution level. The Board is committed to combating environmental issues and will always place the interest of our fans and stakeholders at the forefront,” said BCCI secretary Jay Shah in a media statement on Wednesday.

“The BCCI acknowledges the urgent concern surrounding air quality in both Mumbai and New Delhi. While we strive to host the ICC World Cup in a manner befitting the celebration of cricket, we remain steadfast in our commitment to prioritising the health and safety of all our stakeholders.”

Both of the abovementioned cities are facing very poor quality of air, Delhi on Wednesday recorded “very poor” with an AQI of 372, whereas Mumbai ranged in “poor” category with an AQI of 150-200.