🔗 Share this article Delhi Rises to Hazardous Haze Post Diwali On Tuesday morning inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with breathing dangerously toxic air that was classified as the "alarming" category. Record-Breaking Air Quality Readings Multiple areas of Delhi showed an AQI above 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the recommended threshold set by the WHO. Particular areas, concentrations of toxic particulate matter hit highs of 1,800, equating to 15 to 20 times above healthy standards. Firecracker Restrictions and Current Developments Beginning in 2020, officials had maintained a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their major role to the hazardous smog that engulfs the city as winter sets in. Nevertheless recently, the newly elected city government approached the supreme court to seek a relaxation of the restrictions. The suggestion was allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been doubted by conservation groups as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "heritage and environment". Legal Verdict and Implementation Despite concerns of environmental and health activists, judges agreed to the proposal, stipulating that green firecrackers could be ignited during specific time windows throughout the Diwali. During the celebrations, there was considerable disregard of the regulated periods across the capital, with little enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the supposedly greener variety. Numerous air quality sensors throughout Delhi registered contamination reaching highest levels around late evening to some of the worst readings seen during celebrations in at least recent memory. International Effects The proliferation of firecrackers during the celebrations also sparked a dispute with bordering the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistani Punjab pointing to worsening pollution levels in the city of Lahore on pollutants coming from India following the celebrations. Persistent Environmental Crisis The dangerously high readings of atmospheric toxins in the capital have remained as a significant issue for fifteen-plus years, with the problem continuing to worsen. During the festival period, the concentration of dangerous airborne contaminants in the air has been documented to spike to seventy percent above the most severe readings ever recorded in Beijing, which was formerly considered as the world's most polluted urban center. Various Contamination Sources The problem in the city is attributed to a convergence of multiple factors including automobile exhaust, dust, development work, rubbish burning and smoke from crop residue ignition in adjacent regions of neighboring agricultural zones. Throughout these areas, agricultural workers illegally ignite agricultural waste to prepare for next season, creating dangerous haze that then gets trapped over the city as colder air sets in. Public Health and Economic Impact Public health and economic toll on the roughly thirty-three million people living in the capital region is substantial, according to numerous investigations. The contaminated air results in increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and lung conditions, and can potentially cause malignancies. The pollution is estimated to be accounting for approximately 10k early mortalities per year in the capital.