In the wake of rising pollution levels in the cities, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a big announcement that there will be no fireworks show during the ICC World Cup 2023 matches in Mumbai and Delhi.
To avoid any further actions that might worsen the pollution levels, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah formally brought up the issue with the International Cricket Council (ICC), according to reports.
"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 and Delhi, which can add to the pollution level," he said.
"The Board is committed to combating environmental issues and will always place the interest of our fans and stakeholders at the forefront," he added.
This came after it was brought to attention that the two major cities are experiencing extremely high pollution, which could seriously risk people's health.
With an air quality index (AQI) of 371 at 10 am on Wednesday, Delhi's air quality was categorized as "very poor" for the fifth day in a row.
Over the past few days, the situation in Mumbai has also been concerning, too. At 10 am on Wednesday, the AQI was 175—indicating "moderate" air quality.
On Tuesday, the Bombay High Court took suo motu cognizance of the matter and voiced concern over Mumbai's "deteriorating" air quality index.
Meanwhile, Mumbai will host two more league games on November 2 and November 7, in addition to the semifinal on November 15, while Delhi only has one game remaining - the match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on 6 November 6.
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