🔗 Share this article

As Tuesday dawned citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with inhaling dangerously toxic air that registered in the "alarming" level.

Alarming Pollution Levels

Various sections of the city recorded an pollution measurement above 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the healthy level established by the World Health Organization.

Certain monitoring stations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of 1,800, representing 15-20x higher than safe levels.

Fireworks Ban and Recent Policy Shifts

Beginning in 2020, authorities had maintained a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of fireworks during celebrations due to their major role to the deadly smog that covers the metropolis as colder weather approaches.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the newly elected regional leadership approached the judicial authority to seek a modification of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "green crackers" – which have been criticized by environmental experts as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a balance between "cultural practices and environment".

Judicial Verdict and Reality

Much to the frustration of medical and ecological advocates, judges agreed to the request, stipulating that green firecrackers could be used during limited periods throughout the celebrations.

On Monday night, there was widespread violation of the regulated periods across the capital, with little regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Numerous monitoring devices throughout the city registered contamination reaching highest levels around late evening to the most severe readings observed during celebrations in at least the past three years.

Regional Implications

Extensive ignition of pyrotechnics during the festival also sparked a blame game with adjacent Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistan's the Punjab region partially attributing worsening air quality in their urban centers on pollutants originating in neighboring India following the celebrations.

Long-Standing Environmental Crisis

Alarmingly severe readings of pollution in the city have persisted as a significant issue for more than 15 years, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

During celebratory seasons, the amount of dangerous particulate matter in the air has been documented to increase dramatically to 70% higher the worst records ever measured in the Chinese city, which was formerly considered as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Multiple Pollution Factors

This crisis in the capital is resulting from a convergence of multiple factors including transportation pollution, construction debris, construction activities, rubbish burning and pollutants from farm burning in nearby states of Punjab and Haryana.

Within these states, farmers illegally ignite agricultural waste to prepare for next season, generating dangerous smog that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as cooler air descends.

Public Health and Financial Consequences

Both financial and medical toll on the roughly thirty-three million people living in the Delhi area is substantial, according to multiple studies.

The contaminated air results in increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and lung disorders, and can potentially cause cancer.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be responsible for approximately 10k untimely deaths per year in the city.