🔗 Share this article The megacity Awakens to Dangerous Pollution Post Diwali On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center were faced with exposed to severely hazardous air that registered in the "alarming" level. Extremely High Pollution Levels Various sections of Delhi showed an AQI over 500, which represents ten times the healthy level recommended by the World Health Organization. Particular areas, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of 1,800, amounting to fifteen to twenty times exceeding healthy standards. Firecracker Ban and New Policy Shifts Beginning in 2020, authorities had enforced a comprehensive restriction on the purchase and ignition of fireworks during celebrations due to their major role to the hazardous pollution that blankets the metropolis as the cold season begins. Nevertheless recently, the current local administration petitioned the judicial authority to seek a easing of the prohibition. Officials advocated for allowing "green crackers" – historically criticized by conservation groups as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a compromise between "tradition and ecological concerns". Judicial Verdict and Reality Despite concerns of public health and environmental advocates, judges complied with the request, mandating that green firecrackers could be set off during limited periods throughout the Diwali. Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable flouting of the time restrictions across the metropolis, with minimal monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the more environmentally friendly version. Several air quality sensors throughout Delhi recorded contamination reaching highest levels around midnight to the most severe readings observed during Diwali in at least the past three years. International Consequences Extensive ignition of fireworks during the celebrations also initiated a blame game with adjacent the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistani Punjab partly blaming deteriorating air quality in the city of Lahore on hazardous particles traveling from India following the events. Chronic Environmental Problem Alarmingly severe concentrations of pollution in Delhi have remained as a significant challenge for more than 15 years, with the problem continuing to worsen. Near the festival period, the levels of dangerous airborne contaminants in the air has been documented to increase dramatically to seventy percent above the most severe records ever documented in the Chinese city, which was once considered as the planet's dirtiest city. Multiple Contamination Factors This crisis in the city is resulting from a combination of different contributors including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, development work, rubbish burning and haze from agricultural fires in adjacent areas of neighboring agricultural zones. Throughout these areas, farmers routinely ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, producing dangerous smog that remains stagnant over the city as colder air descends. Medical and Financial Toll Both financial and medical impact on the nearly 33 million residents living in the metropolitan zone is significant, according to numerous studies. These hazardous conditions causes increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and breathing disorders, and can result in cancer. The pollution is calculated to be causing ten thousand early mortalities annually in Delhi.