Delhi Rises to Dangerous Pollution After Diwali

Tuesday brought residents of the world's most polluted city were faced with breathing extremely polluted air that was classified as the "severe" level.

Extremely High Pollution Levels

Several parts of Delhi recorded an air quality index over 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the healthy threshold recommended by the WHO.

In some locations, levels of toxic particulate matter reached peaks of eighteen hundred, equating to 15 to 20 times higher than acceptable limits.

Fireworks Prohibition and New Changes

For the past four years, officials had implemented a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the hazardous smog that engulfs the capital as the cold season begins.

Nevertheless recently, the recently formed local leadership appealed to the supreme court to propose a relaxation of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously questioned by environmental experts as being only about 30% lower impact – as a middle ground between "cultural practices and environment".

Judicial Verdict and Implementation

To the disappointment of public health and environmental activists, judges agreed to the appeal, stipulating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be set off during specific hours throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was extensive violation of the time restrictions across the capital, with little enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly version.

Several recording stations throughout the city showed air quality reaching highest levels around late evening to some of the worst measurements seen during celebrations in at least three years.

International Consequences

Extensive ignition of firecrackers during the festival also initiated a controversy with bordering the neighboring country, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab pointing to deteriorating pollution levels in their urban centers on contaminants coming from India following the events.

Persistent Pollution Problem

Extremely elevated readings of air contamination in the capital have persisted as a significant problem for fifteen-plus years, with the problem continuing to worsen.

Around celebratory seasons, the levels of dangerous airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been documented to shoot up to 70% higher the peak levels ever documented in the Chinese city, which was once regarded as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Various Pollution Sources

The situation in the capital is attributed to a combination of various sources including automobile exhaust, airborne particles, building projects, rubbish burning and haze from agricultural fires in nearby regions of farming communities.

In these regions, farmers illegally set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, producing hazardous pollution that then gets trapped over the city as colder air arrives.

Public Health and Economic Impact

Both financial and medical impact on the approximately 33 million people living in the Delhi area is substantial, according to numerous research.

This pollution results in increased incidence of neurological, heart and circulatory and respiratory disorders, and can even lead to cancer.

Environmental contamination is calculated to be responsible for 10,000 premature mortalities annually in the city.