🔗 Share this article

As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered exposed to severely hazardous air that was classified as the "severe" level.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Readings

Various sections of Delhi registered an AQI exceeding 500, which translates to 10x the safe threshold established by the WHO.

Particular areas, levels of toxic particulate matter soared to of 1800, equating to 15-20x exceeding acceptable limits.

Pyrotechnics Ban and Recent Developments

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their substantial impact to the hazardous haze that engulfs the metropolis as colder weather approaches.

Yet in recent months, the current city leadership approached the supreme court to seek a easing of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been criticized by conservation groups as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a balance between "tradition and environment".

Judicial Decision and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental activists, judges agreed to the request, specifying that environmentally conscious fireworks could be ignited during specific time windows throughout the Diwali.

During the celebrations, there was considerable violation of the time restrictions across the metropolis, with little regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the more environmentally friendly type.

Many recording stations throughout the city showed contamination spiking around the night hours to the most severe levels recorded during Diwali in at least three years.

Regional Implications

The proliferation of fireworks during Diwali also sparked a blame game with adjacent the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistani the Punjab region pointing to worsening pollution levels in the city of Lahore on contaminants traveling from India following the events.

Chronic Environmental Issue

Alarmingly severe concentrations of air contamination in Delhi have remained as a major problem for more than 15 years, with the condition continuing to worsen.

Near the festival period, the concentration of dangerous particulate matter in the air has been observed to spike to significantly exceeding the peak levels ever recorded in Beijing, which was once considered as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Various Pollution Factors

The problem in the city is caused by a convergence of different contributors including automobile exhaust, construction debris, building projects, rubbish burning and pollutants from crop residue ignition in adjacent states of farming communities.

Within these states, rural residents routinely burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, generating toxic haze that then gets trapped over the city as cooler air sets in.

Health and Financial Toll

The economic and health impact on the approximately 33 million people living in the Delhi area is significant, according to numerous investigations.

These hazardous conditions results in elevated rates of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing conditions, and can even lead to cancer.

Environmental contamination is projected to be accounting for 10,000 untimely fatalities per year in Delhi.