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Tuesday brought citizens of the world's most polluted city encountered breathing severely hazardous air that fell into the "severe" range.

Extremely High Air Quality Levels

Multiple areas of Delhi showed an pollution measurement above 500, which translates to 10x the recommended threshold set by the World Health Organization.

Certain monitoring stations, concentrations of toxic particulate matter soared to of eighteen hundred, representing 15 to 20 times exceeding acceptable standards.

Fireworks Prohibition and Current Policy Shifts

Since 2020, the government had enforced a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of fireworks during Diwali due to their major role to the deadly pollution that engulfs the metropolis as colder weather sets in.

However recently, the recently formed city administration petitioned the highest court to propose a easing of the ban.

They proposed allowing "green crackers" – which have been questioned by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a middle ground between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Court Decision and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental activists, the court complied with the appeal, mandating that green firecrackers could be ignited during specific hours throughout the festival.

Throughout the festival evening, there was widespread flouting of the regulated periods across the metropolis, with minimal enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly version.

Several recording stations throughout the capital registered air quality reaching highest levels around the night hours to extremely hazardous levels observed during celebrations in at least three years.

Cross-Border Effects

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during Diwali also initiated a dispute with neighbouring Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab province partly blaming worsening air quality in their urban centers on hazardous particles traveling from across the border following the events.

Long-Standing Environmental Crisis

Extremely elevated levels of atmospheric toxins in the capital have remained as a serious problem for more than 15 years, with the condition continuing to worsen.

Around Diwali, the amount of dangerous airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been documented to spike to 70% higher the peak levels ever measured in Beijing, which was once considered as the world's most polluted urban center.

Various Pollution Factors

This crisis in Delhi is resulting from a mix of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, development work, garbage fires and pollutants from farm burning in nearby areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

In these regions, rural residents routinely ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, producing toxic smog that then gets trapped over the city as winter air sets in.

Medical and Economic Impact

Public health and economic impact on the approximately 33 million inhabitants living in the Delhi area is substantial, according to multiple investigations.

These hazardous conditions leads to increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and breathing diseases, and can even lead to cancer.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be responsible for approximately 10k early deaths annually in the capital.