🔗 Share this article

Tuesday brought residents of the world's most polluted city were faced with breathing dangerously toxic air that registered in the "severe" level.

Extremely High Pollution Measurements

Various sections of the capital recorded an AQI exceeding 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the recommended limit set by the World Health Organization.

Certain monitoring stations, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1800, representing 15 to 20 times exceeding healthy limits.

Firecracker Restrictions and Recent Changes

For the past four years, the government had maintained a complete ban on the distribution and bursting of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their substantial impact to the deadly smog that blankets the city as colder weather begins.

Nevertheless recently, the newly elected city government appealed to the supreme court to request a easing of the ban.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been questioned by conservation groups as being only about 30% less polluting – as a compromise between "heritage and public health".

Court Ruling and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of environmental and health activists, the court agreed to the request, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during specific periods throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was widespread violation of the designated hours across the city, with minimal regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the more environmentally friendly variety.

Many monitoring devices throughout the city showed contamination peaking around late evening to the most severe readings recorded during celebrations in at least recent memory.

Regional Effects

The widespread use of fireworks during Diwali also initiated a dispute with adjacent the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistani Punjab province partly blaming worsening air quality in Lahore on contaminants coming from across the border following the festivities.

Chronic Pollution Problem

Alarmingly severe concentrations of atmospheric toxins in Delhi have persisted as a major challenge for more than 15 years, with the problem continuing to worsen.

Around celebratory seasons, the concentration of toxic particles in the environment has been documented to shoot up to significantly exceeding the worst records ever measured in China's capital, which was formerly considered as the planet's dirtiest urban center.

Various Contamination Factors

The situation in Delhi is attributed to a mix of different contributors including transportation pollution, construction debris, building projects, rubbish burning and haze from crop residue ignition in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, farmers illegally ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, creating toxic smog that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as cooler air descends.

Medical and Financial Impact

Both financial and medical toll on the approximately 33 million residents living in the capital region is substantial, according to numerous studies.

This pollution results in high levels of neurological, heart and circulatory and respiratory conditions, and can even lead to cancer.

The pollution is calculated to be responsible for 10,000 early deaths each year in Delhi.