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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of the world's most polluted city were faced with breathing dangerously toxic air that was classified as the "critical" category.

Extremely High Pollution Levels

Several parts of Delhi recorded an air quality index exceeding 500, which equals ten times the recommended threshold established by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, readings of toxic particulate matter hit highs of 1800, amounting to 15-20x exceeding acceptable levels.

Pyrotechnics Restrictions and New Changes

Since 2020, officials had enforced a complete ban on the sale and use of fireworks during celebrations due to their major role to the dangerous smog that blankets the city as colder weather begins.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the current city government appealed to the highest court to seek a easing of the ban.

They proposed allowing "green crackers" – historically doubted by conservation groups as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a balance between "cultural practices and public health".

Legal Decision and Reality

Much to the frustration of medical and ecological campaigners, the court agreed to the appeal, stipulating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be used during limited periods throughout the Diwali.

Throughout the festival evening, there was extensive disregard of the designated hours across the metropolis, with little monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly type.

Many monitoring devices throughout the capital showed contamination reaching highest levels around midnight to some of the worst levels observed during celebrations in at least recent memory.

International Implications

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during the festival also triggered a dispute with neighbouring Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab province pointing to worsening air quality in Lahore on contaminants coming from India following the festivities.

Persistent Pollution Problem

Alarmingly severe levels of air contamination in the city have remained as a serious problem for more than 15 years, with the situation gradually deteriorating.

Near the festival period, the amount of dangerous particles in the environment has been documented to spike to significantly exceeding the worst records ever measured in Beijing, which was formerly regarded as the planet's dirtiest metropolis.

Diverse Contamination Contributors

The situation in Delhi is resulting from a convergence of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, airborne particles, construction activities, rubbish burning and pollutants from crop residue ignition in adjacent regions of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, rural residents routinely burn crop residue to clear them quickly, creating hazardous pollution that remains stagnant over the capital as colder air descends.

Medical and Financial Impact

Public health and economic toll on the nearly 33 million inhabitants residing in the Delhi area is substantial, according to multiple investigations.

The contaminated air causes elevated rates of nervous system, heart and circulatory and breathing disorders, and can potentially cause malignancies.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be responsible for ten thousand untimely mortalities each year in the city.