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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center were faced with inhaling severely hazardous air that registered in the "severe" range.

Alarming Air Quality Levels

Multiple areas of Delhi showed an air quality index over 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the healthy limit established by the global health authority.

Certain monitoring stations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1,800, representing 15 to 20 times above acceptable levels.

Pyrotechnics Restrictions and Recent Changes

Beginning in 2020, officials had implemented a total prohibition on the sale and use of firecrackers during celebrations due to their significant contribution to the dangerous smog that covers the city as winter approaches.

However recently, the current city leadership petitioned the supreme court to request a modification of the prohibition.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – historically doubted by environmental experts as being only about 30% lower impact – as a balance between "heritage and environment".

Legal Ruling and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental activists, judges agreed to the proposal, specifying that green firecrackers could be set off during specific time windows throughout the celebrations.

During the celebrations, there was considerable disregard of the designated hours across the capital, with minimal monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly version.

Numerous air quality sensors throughout the capital registered pollution reaching highest levels around midnight to extremely hazardous readings seen during the festival in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Effects

The widespread use of firecrackers during the celebrations also triggered a blame game with bordering Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistani the Punjab region pointing to deteriorating air quality in the city of Lahore on pollutants coming from neighboring India following the festivities.

Chronic Environmental Issue

The dangerously high levels of pollution in the city have remained as a major issue for fifteen-plus years, with the situation gradually deteriorating.

Near Diwali, the concentration of hazardous particles in the atmosphere has been observed to increase dramatically to 70% higher the peak levels ever measured in China's capital, which was previously regarded as the globally most contaminated city.

Multiple Contamination Sources

This crisis in the city is attributed to a mix of multiple factors including automobile exhaust, airborne particles, development work, waste incineration and pollutants from agricultural fires in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

Within these states, rural residents illegally burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, creating hazardous haze that becomes contained over the capital as winter air sets in.

Medical and Financial Toll

Public health and economic toll on the approximately 33 million residents living in the capital region is enormous, according to multiple investigations.

This pollution leads to elevated rates of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing disorders, and can even lead to oncological diseases.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be accounting for ten thousand early mortalities per year in the capital.