🔗 Share this article The megacity Wakes Up to Hazardous Haze Post Diwali Tuesday brought citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis found themselves exposed to severely hazardous air that fell into the "critical" category. Alarming Air Quality Levels Various sections of the city registered an air quality index above 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the recommended limit set by the global health authority. Certain monitoring stations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of eighteen hundred, representing 15 to 20 times higher than healthy standards. Firecracker Ban and Current Policy Shifts For the past four years, officials had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the deadly smog that covers the city as the cold season sets in. Yet recently, the recently formed city government petitioned the supreme court to propose a modification of the ban. The suggestion was allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously doubted by environmental experts as being only about 30% reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "cultural practices and public health". Court Verdict and Reality Despite concerns of medical and ecological activists, judges agreed to the appeal, stipulating that green firecrackers could be ignited during designated time windows throughout the festival. Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable violation of the designated hours across the city, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener variety. Many recording stations throughout Delhi showed contamination reaching highest levels around late evening to some of the worst readings recorded during the festival in at least the past three years. Cross-Border Consequences Extensive ignition of pyrotechnics during Diwali also initiated a controversy with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab partially attributing worsening pollution levels in their urban centers on contaminants traveling from across the border following the events. Chronic Environmental Problem Alarmingly severe concentrations of atmospheric toxins in the city have remained as a major issue for more than 15 years, with the condition showing no improvement. Near celebratory seasons, the levels of hazardous particulate matter in the air has been observed to increase dramatically to 70% higher the peak readings ever measured in China's capital, which was formerly regarded as the globally most contaminated metropolis. Diverse Contamination Contributors The situation in the capital is attributed to a convergence of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, construction activities, waste incineration and smoke from agricultural fires in nearby states of neighboring agricultural zones. In these regions, agricultural workers routinely ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, generating hazardous smog that becomes contained over the city as colder air sets in. Medical and Economic Toll Public health and economic toll on the nearly 33 million residents calling home the capital region is enormous, according to various studies. This pollution results in elevated rates of neurological, heart and circulatory and breathing conditions, and can even lead to cancer. Air quality crisis is projected to be accounting for 10,000 early mortalities annually in the capital.