🔗 Share this article The megacity Awakens to Hazardous Haze After Celebrations As Tuesday dawned residents of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered inhaling severely hazardous air that fell into the "critical" level. Alarming Pollution Measurements Several parts of Delhi recorded an pollution measurement above 500, which equals 10x the healthy threshold established by the global health authority. Particular areas, readings of dangerous airborne particles hit highs of 1,800, equating to 15-20x higher than safe levels. Fireworks Restrictions and Current Policy Shifts Since 2020, the government had maintained a comprehensive restriction on the sale and use of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the dangerous smog that covers the city as winter sets in. Nevertheless in recent months, the newly elected city administration appealed to the judicial authority to seek a relaxation of the prohibition. Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously doubted by environmental experts as being only about 30% less polluting – as a balance between "heritage and environment". Legal Ruling and Implementation To the disappointment of environmental and health campaigners, judges agreed to the proposal, mandating that green firecrackers could be used during designated periods throughout the Diwali. On Monday night, there was widespread violation of the time restrictions across the capital, with insufficient monitoring regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the supposedly greener type. Many monitoring devices throughout the capital registered pollution peaking around midnight to some of the worst readings seen during celebrations in at least the past three years. Regional Effects Extensive ignition of pyrotechnics during Diwali also sparked a blame game with neighbouring Pakistan, with officials in Pakistani the Punjab region partly blaming worsening air quality in the city of Lahore on contaminants originating in India following the events. Long-Standing Environmental Issue Alarmingly severe readings of air contamination in the capital have remained as a significant challenge for over a decade and a half, with the situation gradually deteriorating. Around Diwali, the amount of hazardous particulate matter in the environment has been documented to spike to 70% higher the most severe levels ever recorded in Beijing, which was formerly viewed as the globally most contaminated urban center. Various Contamination Sources The situation in Delhi is resulting from a convergence of different contributors including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, building projects, rubbish burning and smoke from crop residue ignition in nearby areas of Punjab and Haryana. In these regions, agricultural workers illegally set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, producing hazardous haze that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as colder air descends. Health and Economic Impact The economic and health consequences on the nearly 33 million residents living in the capital region is significant, according to multiple studies. These hazardous conditions leads to increased incidence of nervous system, heart and circulatory and respiratory disorders, and can potentially cause cancer. Air quality crisis is estimated to be accounting for ten thousand premature fatalities each year in the capital.