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As Tuesday dawned citizens of the world's most polluted city were faced with breathing severely hazardous air that was classified as the "severe" level.

Alarming Pollution Levels

Several parts of the capital registered an air quality index over 500, which represents 10x the safe limit set by the global health authority.

In some locations, concentrations of dangerous airborne particles soared to of 1,800, equating to 15-20x above acceptable levels.

Firecracker Prohibition and New Changes

Since 2020, authorities had enforced a total prohibition on the sale and use of firecrackers during celebrations due to their significant contribution to the hazardous pollution that blankets the city as colder weather begins.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the newly elected regional government appealed to the judicial authority to seek a easing of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously doubted by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a middle ground between "tradition and environment".

Judicial Ruling and Implementation

Despite concerns of public health and environmental activists, the court complied with the request, stipulating that green firecrackers could be set off during specific hours throughout the celebrations.

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

Many recording stations throughout the city recorded contamination spiking around the night hours to the most severe levels seen during Diwali in at least the past three years.

Cross-Border Effects

Extensive ignition of firecrackers during the celebrations also triggered a controversy with neighbouring the neighboring country, with representatives in Pakistan's the Punjab region partially attributing deteriorating atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on hazardous particles originating in across the border following the celebrations.

Persistent Environmental Problem

The dangerously high levels of air contamination in the capital have continued as a serious issue for over a decade and a half, with the problem continuing to worsen.

Around celebratory seasons, the amount of toxic particles in the environment has been observed to spike to significantly exceeding the worst records ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was formerly regarded as the globally most contaminated urban center.

Multiple Pollution Contributors

The problem in the city is attributed to a convergence of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, airborne particles, development work, rubbish burning and haze from farm burning in nearby states of farming communities.

In these regions, rural residents illegally burn crop residue to prepare for next season, generating toxic pollution that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as winter air descends.

Public Health and Economic Toll

Public health and economic consequences on the approximately 33 million people residing in the Delhi area is enormous, according to multiple research.

The contaminated air results in elevated rates of neurological, heart and circulatory and lung disorders, and can result in cancer.

Air quality crisis is calculated to be responsible for ten thousand untimely deaths each year in Delhi.