🔗 Share this article The megacity Wakes Up to Toxic Haze Following Diwali Tuesday brought inhabitants of the world's most polluted city found themselves inhaling extremely polluted air that was classified as the "severe" level. Extremely High Air Quality Levels Multiple areas of the city registered an air quality index over 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the recommended limit established by the WHO. In some locations, levels of dangerous airborne particles hit highs of 1,800, amounting to fifteen to twenty times above healthy standards. Firecracker Ban and Current Developments For the past four years, the government had maintained a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of fireworks during Diwali due to their substantial impact to the hazardous smog that covers the capital as colder weather sets in. Nevertheless earlier this year, the recently formed local leadership approached the highest court to propose a relaxation of the restrictions. Officials advocated for allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been criticized by environmental experts as being only approximately one-third lower impact – as a middle ground between "cultural practices and environment". Legal Ruling and Enforcement To the disappointment of medical and ecological advocates, judicial authorities approved the proposal, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be used during limited periods throughout the Diwali. During the celebrations, there was considerable disregard of the designated hours across the metropolis, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the more environmentally friendly type. Numerous recording stations throughout the capital recorded pollution peaking around midnight to some of the worst levels observed during Diwali in at least the past three years. International Consequences The widespread use of pyrotechnics during the celebrations also sparked a dispute with adjacent the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistani Punjab province pointing to worsening atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on pollutants coming from India following the events. Chronic Environmental Problem Alarmingly severe levels of air contamination in Delhi have continued as a major issue for fifteen-plus years, with the problem continuing to worsen. Near Diwali, the concentration of hazardous particles in the atmosphere has been found to increase dramatically to seventy percent above the peak levels ever documented in China's capital, which was once regarded as the planet's dirtiest urban center. Various Contamination Factors The situation in the capital is caused by a combination of various sources including automobile exhaust, construction debris, construction activities, waste incineration and smoke from farm burning in neighbouring states of farming communities. In these regions, rural residents regularly burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, creating toxic smog that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as cooler air arrives. Public Health and Financial Toll Both financial and medical toll on the roughly thirty-three million residents calling home the capital region is enormous, according to multiple research. The contaminated air results in increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can result in malignancies. The pollution is projected to be responsible for ten thousand untimely deaths annually in the capital.