🔗 Share this article

As Tuesday dawned residents of the world's most polluted city found themselves exposed to extremely polluted air that fell into the "critical" range.

Extremely High Pollution Readings

Multiple areas of Delhi registered an air quality index above 500, which represents ten times the healthy limit established by the global health authority.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of 1800, representing 15 to 20 times higher than safe standards.

Pyrotechnics Ban and Recent Changes

For the past four years, authorities had enforced a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of pyrotechnics during Diwali due to their major role to the hazardous haze that blankets the metropolis as winter sets in.

Yet earlier this year, the newly elected local leadership approached the highest court to request a modification of the ban.

They proposed allowing "green crackers" – which have been questioned by environmental experts as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a middle ground between "tradition and environment".

Court Verdict and Reality

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental activists, judges approved the request, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be used during limited periods throughout the celebrations.

Throughout the festival evening, there was extensive flouting of the time restrictions across the capital, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the more environmentally friendly version.

Numerous monitoring devices throughout Delhi showed pollution peaking around late evening to the most severe readings observed during Diwali in at least recent memory.

Regional Effects

Extensive ignition of pyrotechnics during Diwali also triggered a dispute with neighbouring the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistan's Punjab pointing to declining air quality in Lahore on hazardous particles originating in across the border following the events.

Long-Standing Pollution Issue

The dangerously high levels of atmospheric toxins in the city have continued as a major challenge for more than 15 years, with the situation gradually deteriorating.

During the festival period, the amount of toxic airborne contaminants in the environment has been found to increase dramatically to seventy percent above the peak readings ever measured in China's capital, which was formerly regarded as the globally most contaminated urban center.

Various Contamination Factors

The situation in the city is caused by a mix of multiple factors including transportation pollution, airborne particles, development work, garbage fires and pollutants from agricultural fires in neighbouring areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

In these regions, rural residents routinely burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, producing hazardous smog that remains stagnant over the city as cooler air sets in.

Health and Economic Impact

Public health and economic consequences on the nearly 33 million people calling home the Delhi area is substantial, according to numerous investigations.

This pollution results in elevated rates of neurological, heart and circulatory and respiratory disorders, and can even lead to oncological diseases.

Environmental contamination is projected to be causing 10,000 early deaths annually in the city.