🔗 Share this article Delhi Rises to Hazardous Haze Post Celebrations As Tuesday dawned residents of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with exposed to extremely polluted air that registered in the "severe" category. Record-Breaking Air Quality Readings Various sections of the capital showed an pollution measurement exceeding 500, which represents 10x the recommended threshold established by the World Health Organization. In some locations, readings of toxic particulate matter soared to of eighteen hundred, amounting to 15 to 20 times above acceptable limits. Firecracker Prohibition and Current Changes For the past four years, authorities had enforced a total prohibition on the sale and use of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their substantial impact to the deadly smog that engulfs the metropolis as colder weather sets in. Yet in recent months, the recently formed regional government appealed to the highest court to request a relaxation of the prohibition. They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically criticized by environmental experts as being only about 30% less polluting – as a balance between "heritage and public health". Court Decision and Implementation Despite concerns of medical and ecological campaigners, judges complied with the appeal, stipulating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be ignited during limited hours throughout the celebrations. Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable disregard of the designated hours across the city, with little enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly version. Many monitoring devices throughout the city showed contamination reaching highest levels around the night hours to the most severe measurements seen during the festival in at least the past three years. Regional Consequences The widespread use of fireworks during the festival also initiated a controversy with bordering Pakistan, with officials in Pakistan's the Punjab region partly blaming deteriorating atmospheric conditions in Lahore on contaminants traveling from across the border following the festivities. Persistent Pollution Issue Extremely elevated readings of pollution in the city have persisted as a major issue for over a decade and a half, with the condition continuing to worsen. Near Diwali, the amount of dangerous airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been found to increase dramatically to seventy percent above the worst readings ever documented in China's capital, which was previously considered as the planet's dirtiest city. Diverse Pollution Factors The problem in the capital is caused by a combination of different contributors including transportation pollution, dust, development work, rubbish burning and haze from agricultural fires in adjacent areas of Punjab and Haryana. Within these states, farmers regularly ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, creating toxic pollution that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as colder air sets in. Medical and Economic Consequences Public health and economic impact on the approximately 33 million people residing in the Delhi area is substantial, according to numerous investigations. This pollution causes elevated rates of nervous system, heart and circulatory and lung conditions, and can even lead to cancer. The pollution is projected to be causing ten thousand untimely fatalities per year in the city.