🔗 Share this article

As Tuesday dawned citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered exposed to dangerously toxic air that fell into the "alarming" level.

Record-Breaking Pollution Measurements

Several parts of the city recorded an air quality index over 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the safe level established by the WHO.

Particular areas, concentrations of dangerous airborne particles reached peaks of 1800, representing 15-20x higher than healthy standards.

Pyrotechnics Ban and Recent Developments

Beginning in 2020, the government had maintained a comprehensive restriction on the sale and use of firecrackers during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the hazardous pollution that blankets the metropolis as colder weather approaches.

Nevertheless in recent months, the current city leadership appealed to the judicial authority to request a relaxation of the ban.

Officials advocated for allowing "green crackers" – historically criticized by conservation groups as being only about 30% reduced emissions – as a balance between "cultural practices and environment".

Court Decision and Enforcement

To the disappointment of environmental and health campaigners, judges agreed to the request, specifying that green firecrackers could be set off during designated time windows throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was considerable flouting of the regulated periods across the capital, with minimal regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly type.

Numerous recording stations throughout the capital recorded air quality spiking around the night hours to the most severe measurements recorded during celebrations in at least three years.

Regional Consequences

The proliferation of firecrackers during the festival also initiated a controversy with bordering the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistan's the Punjab region partially attributing deteriorating atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on contaminants originating in India following the festivities.

Persistent Pollution Crisis

Extremely elevated concentrations of atmospheric toxins in Delhi have persisted as a serious issue for over a decade and a half, with the condition gradually deteriorating.

Near the festival period, the concentration of dangerous particles in the environment has been documented to shoot up to significantly exceeding the peak levels ever measured in China's capital, which was previously regarded as the planet's dirtiest urban center.

Diverse Contamination Contributors

The situation in the city is attributed to a combination of various sources including transportation pollution, construction debris, development work, waste incineration and pollutants from agricultural fires in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, agricultural workers regularly burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, producing dangerous haze that remains stagnant over the capital as colder air arrives.

Health and Financial Impact

Both financial and medical toll on the approximately 33 million people calling home the Delhi area is enormous, according to numerous investigations.

The contaminated air results in increased incidence of nervous system, cardiovascular and lung disorders, and can result in oncological diseases.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be causing 10,000 untimely mortalities each year in the capital.