🔗 Share this article India's capital Wakes Up to Toxic Haze After Celebrations On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the world's most polluted city found themselves exposed to severely hazardous air that registered in the "alarming" level. Extremely High Pollution Readings Multiple areas of Delhi registered an pollution measurement above 500, which equals ten times the healthy limit set by the global health authority. Certain monitoring stations, concentrations of dangerous airborne particles reached peaks of 1,800, amounting to 15-20x higher than healthy levels. Pyrotechnics Restrictions and Current Developments Since 2020, authorities had maintained a complete ban on the sale and use of firecrackers during Diwali due to their substantial impact to the deadly pollution that engulfs the capital as the cold season approaches. Nevertheless recently, the newly elected local government appealed to the supreme court to propose a modification of the prohibition. The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – historically questioned by conservation groups as being only approximately one-third lower impact – as a middle ground between "heritage and public health". Court Verdict and Enforcement Despite concerns of medical and ecological campaigners, judges approved the proposal, stipulating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be set off during limited periods throughout the Diwali. Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable violation of the regulated periods across the capital, with minimal enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the eco-friendly type. Several air quality sensors throughout the capital registered air quality peaking around midnight to the most severe levels seen during celebrations in at least the past three years. International Effects The widespread use of pyrotechnics during the celebrations also initiated a blame game with neighbouring the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistan's Punjab pointing to deteriorating atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on hazardous particles traveling from neighboring India following the festivities. Long-Standing Pollution Problem Alarmingly severe levels of air contamination in the capital have persisted as a major problem for more than 15 years, with the problem showing no improvement. Around celebratory seasons, the amount of dangerous particulate matter in the environment has been observed to spike to 70% higher the worst readings ever documented in China's capital, which was formerly regarded as the globally most contaminated metropolis. Various Contamination Sources The situation in the capital is attributed to a combination of different contributors including transportation pollution, dust, construction activities, rubbish burning and smoke from crop residue ignition in neighbouring regions of farming communities. Throughout these areas, farmers routinely burn crop residue to clear them quickly, generating dangerous smog that becomes contained over the city as cooler air descends. Public Health and Financial Toll The economic and health toll on the nearly 33 million people calling home the capital region is substantial, according to multiple investigations. These hazardous conditions results in increased incidence of nervous system, heart and circulatory and breathing diseases, and can potentially cause malignancies. Air quality crisis is estimated to be responsible for approximately 10k early deaths each year in the city.