🔗 Share this article

On Tuesday morning citizens of the planet's dirtiest urban center were faced with inhaling dangerously toxic air that fell into the "severe" range.

Extremely High Pollution Levels

Several parts of the city registered an air quality index exceeding 500, which equals 10x the safe limit set by the WHO.

Particular areas, readings of toxic particulate matter hit highs of 1,800, amounting to fifteen to twenty times above safe standards.

Pyrotechnics Restrictions and New Changes

For the past four years, officials had enforced a comprehensive restriction on the purchase and ignition of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the dangerous smog that covers the capital as winter begins.

However earlier this year, the recently formed regional government appealed to the highest court to request a easing of the ban.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – historically criticized by conservation groups as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a middle ground between "heritage and public health".

Court Ruling and Implementation

To the disappointment of public health and environmental activists, judges complied with the proposal, stipulating that green firecrackers could be set off during specific periods throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was extensive flouting of the designated hours across the capital, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Many recording stations throughout the city recorded pollution reaching highest levels around midnight to some of the worst measurements recorded during Diwali in at least three years.

Cross-Border Effects

The proliferation of fireworks during Diwali also sparked a dispute with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani the Punjab region partly blaming worsening atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on pollutants traveling from neighboring India following the festivities.

Chronic Environmental Problem

Alarmingly severe concentrations of atmospheric toxins in Delhi have persisted as a significant issue for over a decade and a half, with the situation showing no improvement.

Near celebratory seasons, the concentration of toxic particles in the air has been documented to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the peak readings ever measured in the Chinese city, which was formerly considered as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Various Pollution Contributors

This crisis in the city is resulting from a combination of different contributors including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, building projects, garbage fires and smoke from crop residue ignition in nearby states of Punjab and Haryana.

Within these states, farmers routinely set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, generating toxic haze that then gets trapped over the city as winter air descends.

Public Health and Financial Toll

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

This pollution causes high levels of nervous system, heart and circulatory and breathing disorders, and can result in cancer.

The pollution is estimated to be causing ten thousand early deaths annually in Delhi.