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On Tuesday morning residents of this heavily contaminated metropolis found themselves breathing dangerously toxic air that registered in the "critical" level.

Extremely High Air Quality Levels

Various sections of the capital showed an pollution measurement exceeding 500, which translates to 10x the healthy threshold established by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of 1,800, equating to 15 to 20 times higher than safe limits.

Fireworks Ban and Recent Changes

Since 2020, officials had implemented a complete ban on the distribution and bursting of fireworks during Diwali due to their major role to the dangerous haze that blankets the metropolis as colder weather sets in.

Nevertheless in recent months, the newly elected city government petitioned the highest court to seek a modification of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – historically criticized by environmental experts as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a balance between "heritage and public health".

Legal Verdict and Implementation

To the disappointment of public health and environmental campaigners, judicial authorities complied with the proposal, specifying that green firecrackers could be set off during limited hours throughout the festival.

Throughout the festival evening, there was widespread disregard of the designated hours across the city, with minimal regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the more environmentally friendly variety.

Many monitoring devices throughout Delhi recorded air quality reaching highest levels around late evening to some of the worst levels recorded during the festival in at least the past three years.

Cross-Border Implications

The widespread use of fireworks during Diwali also sparked a dispute with neighbouring Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistan's Punjab pointing to deteriorating pollution levels in the city of Lahore on contaminants traveling from neighboring India following the festivities.

Long-Standing Pollution Crisis

Extremely elevated concentrations of pollution in the capital have remained as a significant challenge for over a decade and a half, with the condition continuing to worsen.

Around Diwali, the amount of toxic airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been found to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the peak levels ever measured in the Chinese city, which was once considered as the planet's dirtiest urban center.

Various Pollution Sources

The situation in Delhi is resulting from a combination of various sources including automobile exhaust, construction debris, development work, waste incineration and smoke from agricultural fires in neighbouring regions of neighboring agricultural zones.

Throughout these areas, rural residents regularly burn crop residue to prepare for next season, producing hazardous smog that remains stagnant over the city as colder air sets in.

Medical and Economic Impact

Public health and economic consequences on the approximately 33 million residents residing in the capital region is substantial, according to numerous investigations.

This pollution leads to high levels of nervous system, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can even lead to oncological diseases.

Environmental contamination is calculated to be causing 10,000 untimely fatalities each year in Delhi.