🔗 Share this article The megacity Rises to Dangerous Haze After Festival of Lights On Tuesday morning citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with exposed to extremely polluted air that fell into the "severe" category. Extremely High Pollution Measurements Multiple areas of the capital recorded an AQI exceeding 500, which represents 10x the recommended limit recommended by the WHO. Particular areas, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of 1800, representing 15 to 20 times exceeding acceptable limits. Fireworks Restrictions and New Developments Beginning in 2020, authorities had enforced a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the hazardous smog that blankets the capital as the cold season approaches. However earlier this year, the current city leadership approached the highest court to seek a easing of the prohibition. The suggestion was allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously criticized by conservation groups as being only about 30% less polluting – as a compromise between "cultural practices and ecological concerns". Legal Verdict and Implementation Despite concerns of environmental and health advocates, the court approved the request, mandating that green firecrackers could be used during designated time windows throughout the celebrations. Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable flouting of the designated hours across the metropolis, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener version. Many air quality sensors throughout Delhi recorded air quality reaching highest levels around the night hours to some of the worst levels observed during celebrations in at least three years. International Implications The widespread use of fireworks during the celebrations also initiated a blame game with neighbouring Pakistan, with officials in Pakistan's Punjab province partly blaming declining air quality in their urban centers on contaminants traveling from neighboring India following the celebrations. Chronic Pollution Issue Extremely elevated readings of pollution in Delhi have continued as a significant problem for over a decade and a half, with the condition gradually deteriorating. During Diwali, the amount of hazardous airborne contaminants in the air has been documented to shoot up to significantly exceeding the worst records ever documented in Beijing, which was previously regarded as the world's most polluted urban center. Diverse Contamination Sources The situation in the capital is resulting from a combination of multiple factors including automobile exhaust, dust, building projects, waste incineration and haze from agricultural fires in nearby regions of Punjab and Haryana. In these regions, farmers routinely set their fields on fire to prepare for next season, generating dangerous haze that remains stagnant over the metropolitan area as cooler air descends. Public Health and Economic Consequences Both financial and medical impact on the nearly 33 million residents living in the capital region is substantial, according to multiple research. These hazardous conditions leads to high levels of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing disorders, and can even lead to cancer. The pollution is projected to be responsible for approximately 10k premature mortalities each year in the capital.