🔗 Share this article The megacity Awakens to Hazardous Smog Post Festival of Lights As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of the world's most polluted city were faced with inhaling severely hazardous air that fell into the "severe" level. Extremely High Pollution Measurements Several parts of Delhi showed an air quality index over 500, which equals ten times the healthy level established by the World Health Organization. In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1,800, amounting to 15 to 20 times exceeding acceptable standards. Fireworks Restrictions and Current Changes Beginning in 2020, the government had enforced a comprehensive restriction on the sale and use of firecrackers during celebrations due to their substantial impact to the hazardous haze that covers the capital as the cold season approaches. However recently, the current city leadership petitioned the supreme court to seek a modification of the prohibition. Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically doubted by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a balance between "tradition and environment". Judicial Decision and Enforcement Much to the frustration of environmental and health campaigners, judicial authorities agreed to the proposal, mandating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be used during limited hours throughout the celebrations. Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable disregard of the designated hours across the capital, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the more environmentally friendly type. Several recording stations throughout Delhi recorded pollution reaching highest levels around late evening to some of the worst readings recorded during the festival in at least the past three years. Cross-Border Implications The proliferation of firecrackers during Diwali also triggered a blame game with adjacent the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistan's the Punjab region partially attributing worsening air quality in the city of Lahore on hazardous particles coming from neighboring India following the events. Long-Standing Environmental Crisis Extremely elevated levels of air contamination in the capital have remained as a significant problem for more than 15 years, with the condition gradually deteriorating. Around Diwali, the amount of dangerous particles in the air has been found to increase dramatically to seventy percent above the most severe records ever documented in Beijing, which was previously considered as the planet's dirtiest city. Various Pollution Contributors The situation in Delhi is resulting from a combination of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, development work, rubbish burning and pollutants from crop residue ignition in neighbouring regions of neighboring agricultural zones. Throughout these areas, farmers routinely set their fields on fire to prepare for next season, generating dangerous smog that becomes contained over the city as colder air sets in. Medical and Financial Toll Public health and economic impact on the roughly thirty-three million residents residing in the metropolitan zone is enormous, according to multiple research. The contaminated air causes high levels of nervous system, cardiovascular and lung disorders, and can even lead to oncological diseases. Environmental contamination is projected to be accounting for ten thousand untimely mortalities per year in Delhi.