🔗 Share this article India's capital Wakes Up to Dangerous Smog After Celebrations On Tuesday morning citizens of the world's most polluted city found themselves breathing severely hazardous air that registered in the "alarming" level. Record-Breaking Pollution Measurements Several parts of the capital registered an pollution measurement above 500, which equals ten times the safe limit established by the global health authority. Certain monitoring stations, levels of toxic particulate matter reached peaks of eighteen hundred, representing 15-20x higher than safe levels. Fireworks Prohibition and Recent Changes For the past four years, authorities had implemented a complete ban on the sale and use of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the deadly smog that covers the capital as colder weather begins. However recently, the recently formed regional leadership appealed to the judicial authority to propose a easing of the prohibition. Officials advocated for allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been doubted by conservation groups as being only approximately one-third reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "tradition and ecological concerns". Legal Verdict and Enforcement Much to the frustration of medical and ecological activists, the court complied with the request, stipulating that green firecrackers could be used during limited hours throughout the festival. During the celebrations, there was widespread flouting of the designated hours across the capital, with little monitoring regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly version. Numerous air quality sensors throughout the city showed pollution peaking around late evening to extremely hazardous measurements observed during Diwali in at least three years. Regional Implications The widespread use of pyrotechnics during the festival also triggered a controversy with bordering the neighboring country, with representatives in Pakistani Punjab pointing to worsening pollution levels in their urban centers on hazardous particles coming from neighboring India following the events. Persistent Environmental Crisis The dangerously high levels of atmospheric toxins in the capital have persisted as a serious issue for more than 15 years, with the situation showing no improvement. During Diwali, the levels of hazardous particulate matter in the environment has been observed to spike to significantly exceeding the peak readings ever documented in the Chinese city, which was formerly considered as the planet's dirtiest city. Diverse Pollution Sources The problem in the capital is caused by a combination of multiple factors including transportation pollution, airborne particles, building projects, garbage fires and pollutants from agricultural fires in adjacent states of neighboring agricultural zones. In these regions, rural residents routinely set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, producing dangerous smog that remains stagnant over the capital as winter air arrives. Medical and Financial Impact Both financial and medical consequences on the nearly 33 million residents calling home the capital region is substantial, according to various studies. This pollution leads to elevated rates of nervous system, heart and circulatory and lung diseases, and can even lead to cancer. The pollution is calculated to be accounting for 10,000 premature fatalities each year in Delhi.