🔗 Share this article

As Tuesday dawned citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis found themselves breathing dangerously toxic air that registered in the "severe" level.

Extremely High Air Quality Levels

Various sections of the city showed an pollution measurement exceeding 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the recommended level established by the WHO.

Certain monitoring stations, readings of dangerous airborne particles reached peaks of 1800, equating to 15 to 20 times higher than acceptable standards.

Fireworks Prohibition and Recent Developments

Beginning in 2020, officials had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the purchase and ignition of fireworks during Diwali due to their substantial impact to the deadly pollution that blankets the city as colder weather begins.

However in recent months, the newly elected city government approached the supreme court to propose a easing of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – which have been doubted by conservation groups as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a compromise between "heritage and public health".

Judicial Decision and Enforcement

To the disappointment of public health and environmental activists, the court approved the request, mandating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be used during specific hours throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was widespread disregard of the regulated periods across the metropolis, with minimal monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly type.

Several air quality sensors throughout the capital recorded pollution peaking around the night hours to extremely hazardous measurements observed during celebrations in at least recent memory.

Regional Implications

The proliferation of fireworks during the celebrations also sparked a controversy with adjacent Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab partially attributing deteriorating pollution levels in their urban centers on contaminants traveling from across the border following the events.

Persistent Pollution Crisis

Extremely elevated concentrations of pollution in Delhi have persisted as a significant issue for fifteen-plus years, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

During the festival period, the levels of hazardous particulate matter in the environment has been found to shoot up to seventy percent above the peak levels ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was previously considered as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Multiple Pollution Sources

The situation in the capital is caused by a combination of various sources including transportation pollution, dust, development work, rubbish burning and haze from agricultural fires in neighbouring areas of Punjab and Haryana.

Within these states, agricultural workers routinely ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, generating hazardous pollution that remains stagnant over the city as cooler air arrives.

Medical and Financial Impact

Public health and economic toll on the nearly 33 million residents residing in the capital region is enormous, according to multiple research.

This pollution leads to elevated rates of neurological, cardiovascular and breathing conditions, and can result in oncological diseases.

Environmental contamination is estimated to be responsible for approximately 10k untimely fatalities per year in Delhi.