🔗 Share this article The megacity Awakens to Hazardous Smog Post Diwali As Tuesday dawned citizens of the planet's dirtiest urban center were faced with exposed to dangerously toxic air that registered in the "alarming" range. Alarming Air Quality Levels Several parts of the capital showed an pollution measurement over 500, which equals ten times the safe level recommended by the World Health Organization. Particular areas, levels of toxic particulate matter reached peaks of eighteen hundred, equating to 15 to 20 times higher than healthy standards. Pyrotechnics Prohibition and New Policy Shifts For the past four years, authorities had implemented a complete ban on the sale and use of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the dangerous smog that blankets the metropolis as the cold season approaches. Yet recently, the newly elected city administration approached the supreme court to request a modification of the ban. They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been criticized by environmental experts as being only approximately one-third lower impact – as a compromise between "tradition and public health". Court Verdict and Implementation Despite concerns of medical and ecological activists, judges agreed to the appeal, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be used during designated hours throughout the celebrations. Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable flouting of the designated hours across the metropolis, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener variety. Several air quality sensors throughout the capital registered pollution peaking around midnight to some of the worst measurements observed during the festival in at least the past three years. Cross-Border Consequences The proliferation of firecrackers during the festival also sparked a blame game with neighbouring Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistani Punjab partly blaming worsening atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on contaminants originating in across the border following the celebrations. Long-Standing Environmental Crisis The dangerously high readings of pollution in the capital have remained as a significant challenge for over a decade and a half, with the problem showing no improvement. Near celebratory seasons, the levels of toxic airborne contaminants in the air has been found to spike to 70% higher the worst records ever recorded in Beijing, which was once considered as the globally most contaminated city. Multiple Contamination Contributors The problem in Delhi is resulting from a combination of different contributors including transportation pollution, dust, construction activities, rubbish burning and haze from farm burning in adjacent states of neighboring agricultural zones. In these regions, rural residents illegally ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, creating toxic smog that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as colder air sets in. Medical and Financial Consequences Public health and economic impact on the approximately 33 million people living in the metropolitan zone is significant, according to multiple research. This pollution leads to increased incidence of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing disorders, and can even lead to oncological diseases. Air quality crisis is calculated to be responsible for 10,000 early fatalities per year in the capital.