🔗 Share this article

On Tuesday morning residents of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered breathing severely hazardous air that fell into the "severe" range.

Record-Breaking Pollution Readings

Various sections of the city registered an pollution measurement exceeding 500, which translates to 10x the recommended threshold set by the global health authority.

In some locations, concentrations of toxic particulate matter reached peaks of 1,800, amounting to fifteen to twenty times higher than healthy levels.

Firecracker Restrictions and Current Policy Shifts

Beginning in 2020, officials had enforced a total prohibition on the sale and use of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the dangerous smog that covers the capital as colder weather approaches.

Yet recently, the current regional administration appealed to the supreme court to propose a modification of the ban.

Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been criticized by environmentalists as being only about 30% lower impact – as a middle ground between "heritage and ecological concerns".

Legal Ruling and Reality

Despite concerns of public health and environmental campaigners, judicial authorities agreed to the proposal, specifying that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during limited hours throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was extensive flouting of the designated hours across the city, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the supposedly greener variety.

Many recording stations throughout the city showed air quality reaching highest levels around the night hours to some of the worst readings seen during celebrations in at least the past three years.

International Implications

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during the festival also initiated a dispute with bordering Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistani Punjab pointing to deteriorating pollution levels in Lahore on contaminants traveling from India following the festivities.

Long-Standing Environmental Crisis

The dangerously high levels of air contamination in the city have remained as a major challenge for more than 15 years, with the condition continuing to worsen.

During Diwali, the concentration of dangerous particles in the atmosphere has been documented to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the peak records ever recorded in China's capital, which was previously considered as the planet's dirtiest city.

Multiple Contamination Factors

The problem in the city is caused by a convergence of different contributors including transportation pollution, dust, development work, rubbish burning and haze from crop residue ignition in nearby states of farming communities.

In these regions, agricultural workers illegally set their fields on fire to clear them quickly, creating dangerous pollution that then gets trapped over the city as cooler air sets in.

Medical and Economic Impact

Both financial and medical toll on the approximately 33 million inhabitants residing in the Delhi area is substantial, according to various research.

These hazardous conditions results in high levels of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing conditions, and can potentially cause malignancies.

Air quality crisis is projected to be accounting for approximately 10k premature mortalities per year in the capital.