🔗 Share this article India's capital Wakes Up to Hazardous Smog Following Diwali On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the world's most polluted city encountered breathing dangerously toxic air that registered in the "alarming" range. Alarming Air Quality Levels Multiple areas of the capital showed an air quality index over 500, which equals 10x the recommended threshold established by the global health authority. Certain monitoring stations, readings of toxic particulate matter reached peaks of eighteen hundred, amounting to fifteen to twenty times higher than acceptable limits. Pyrotechnics Prohibition and New Policy Shifts Beginning in 2020, officials had implemented a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during Diwali due to their substantial impact to the deadly pollution that blankets the city as the cold season approaches. Yet earlier this year, the recently formed local administration approached the highest court to request a relaxation of the restrictions. Officials advocated for allowing "green crackers" – which have been doubted by environmental experts as being only approximately one-third reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "cultural practices and public health". Legal Ruling and Enforcement Much to the frustration of public health and environmental advocates, judicial authorities approved the request, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during limited time windows throughout the festival. During the celebrations, there was considerable violation of the regulated periods across the metropolis, with minimal monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the supposedly greener type. Many monitoring devices throughout the capital showed contamination spiking around late evening to extremely hazardous readings observed during celebrations in at least three years. Regional Implications Extensive ignition of firecrackers during the celebrations also sparked a controversy with adjacent Pakistan, with officials in Pakistani Punjab province pointing to worsening air quality in Lahore on pollutants traveling from across the border following the festivities. Chronic Pollution Problem Alarmingly severe readings of air contamination in Delhi have remained as a serious problem for fifteen-plus years, with the situation continuing to worsen. Near celebratory seasons, the concentration of dangerous airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been observed to shoot up to 70% higher the worst levels ever documented in China's capital, which was once considered as the world's most polluted city. Multiple Pollution Contributors The situation in the capital is attributed to a combination of various sources including automobile exhaust, airborne particles, construction activities, garbage fires and haze from agricultural fires in neighbouring states of neighboring agricultural zones. In these regions, agricultural workers regularly ignite agricultural waste to prepare for next season, creating dangerous pollution that then gets trapped over the city as winter air descends. Public Health and Economic Consequences Public health and economic impact on the roughly thirty-three million inhabitants residing in the metropolitan zone is substantial, according to multiple investigations. These hazardous conditions causes elevated rates of nervous system, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can even lead to cancer. Environmental contamination is projected to be accounting for approximately 10k early mortalities per year in Delhi.