🔗 Share this article

On Tuesday morning residents of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves inhaling dangerously toxic air that registered in the "alarming" category.

Extremely High Pollution Measurements

Various sections of Delhi recorded an air quality index above 500, which translates to 10x the recommended threshold established by the global health authority.

In some locations, concentrations of dangerous airborne particles reached peaks of 1800, representing 15-20x exceeding healthy limits.

Firecracker Ban and Current Changes

Beginning in 2020, officials had maintained a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their significant contribution to the dangerous pollution that blankets the city as the cold season approaches.

Nevertheless in recent months, the newly elected city leadership appealed to the supreme court to request a modification of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been criticized by environmental experts as being only about 30% lower impact – as a middle ground between "heritage and environment".

Court Decision and Enforcement

To the disappointment of public health and environmental campaigners, judicial authorities complied with the request, specifying that green firecrackers could be ignited during designated periods throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was considerable flouting of the regulated periods across the capital, with little regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener variety.

Many recording stations throughout the capital recorded contamination peaking around midnight to the most severe readings recorded during celebrations in at least three years.

International Implications

The proliferation of firecrackers during the festival also initiated a blame game with neighbouring the neighboring country, with representatives in Pakistani the Punjab region partly blaming deteriorating pollution levels in Lahore on pollutants coming from across the border following the events.

Chronic Environmental Issue

Extremely elevated levels of pollution in Delhi have continued as a serious problem for over a decade and a half, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

Near the festival period, the amount of dangerous particulate matter in the atmosphere has been documented to shoot up to 70% higher the most severe levels ever measured in China's capital, which was previously considered as the globally most contaminated urban center.

Diverse Pollution Sources

This crisis in the capital is caused by a mix of different contributors including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, construction activities, rubbish burning and pollutants from farm burning in neighbouring areas of Punjab and Haryana.

Within these states, farmers regularly set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, creating hazardous haze that becomes contained over the capital as cooler air sets in.

Medical and Economic Consequences

Public health and economic impact on the roughly thirty-three million people residing in the Delhi area is significant, according to multiple research.

The contaminated air results in elevated rates of nervous system, heart and circulatory and respiratory disorders, and can result in oncological diseases.

The pollution is projected to be responsible for 10,000 untimely mortalities per year in the city.