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Tuesday brought inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center were faced with breathing severely hazardous air that fell into the "critical" range.

Record-Breaking Pollution Readings

Several parts of the capital showed an AQI above 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the recommended level established by the WHO.

Particular areas, concentrations of toxic particulate matter hit highs of 1800, equating to 15 to 20 times exceeding acceptable limits.

Firecracker Restrictions and Current Changes

Since 2020, the government had maintained a total prohibition on the sale and use of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the hazardous pollution that blankets the metropolis as winter approaches.

However in recent months, the current city leadership approached the supreme court to request a modification of the ban.

Officials advocated for allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been doubted by conservation groups as being only approximately one-third lower impact – as a balance between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Judicial Ruling and Reality

To the disappointment of medical and ecological advocates, the court approved the appeal, specifying that green firecrackers could be ignited during designated periods throughout the celebrations.

During the celebrations, there was widespread violation of the designated hours across the capital, with minimal enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the supposedly greener variety.

Many recording stations throughout the capital showed pollution spiking around the night hours to some of the worst levels recorded during the festival in at least the past three years.

International Effects

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during the festival also initiated a dispute with bordering Pakistan, with officials in Pakistan's Punjab province partially attributing deteriorating air quality in the city of Lahore on hazardous particles traveling from across the border following the events.

Chronic Pollution Crisis

Alarmingly severe levels of pollution in the city have remained as a serious problem for fifteen-plus years, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

Around Diwali, the levels of hazardous airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been found to shoot up to seventy percent above the most severe records ever documented in China's capital, which was formerly viewed as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Diverse Pollution Contributors

The situation in Delhi is caused by a convergence of different contributors including transportation pollution, dust, development work, waste incineration and smoke from crop residue ignition in neighbouring areas of Punjab and Haryana.

In these regions, farmers illegally set their fields on fire to prepare for next season, producing hazardous pollution that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as colder air descends.

Medical and Economic Consequences

Both financial and medical impact on the approximately 33 million inhabitants living in the Delhi area is significant, according to various studies.

These hazardous conditions causes increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can potentially cause oncological diseases.

Environmental contamination is projected to be causing approximately 10k premature deaths annually in the capital.