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As Tuesday dawned citizens of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves breathing severely hazardous air that was classified as the "severe" level.

Extremely High Pollution Levels

Several parts of the capital recorded an AQI above 500, which represents 10x the recommended limit established by the global health authority.

Particular areas, levels of dangerous airborne particles reached peaks of eighteen hundred, representing 15 to 20 times higher than safe limits.

Fireworks Prohibition and New Developments

Beginning in 2020, the government had implemented a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the hazardous pollution that engulfs the capital as winter sets in.

However recently, the newly elected regional government approached the highest court to request a easing of the ban.

Officials advocated for allowing "green crackers" – which have been questioned by conservation groups as being only about 30% lower impact – as a compromise between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Court Decision and Implementation

To the disappointment of public health and environmental campaigners, judicial authorities approved the proposal, mandating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be ignited during designated periods throughout the Diwali.

Throughout the festival evening, there was widespread flouting of the designated hours across the capital, with little enforcement regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the supposedly greener version.

Numerous recording stations throughout the capital showed contamination peaking around late evening to the most severe readings observed during the festival in at least three years.

International Implications

Extensive ignition of pyrotechnics during Diwali also sparked a dispute with bordering Pakistan, with officials in Pakistan's Punjab partly blaming worsening atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on pollutants originating in India following the festivities.

Chronic Environmental Problem

Extremely elevated readings of atmospheric toxins in the capital have continued as a significant challenge for more than 15 years, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

Near celebratory seasons, the amount of dangerous particles in the air has been documented to increase dramatically to 70% higher the worst records ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was formerly regarded as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Various Contamination Factors

The problem in the capital is attributed to a combination of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, building projects, rubbish burning and haze from crop residue ignition in adjacent regions of farming communities.

Within these states, rural residents illegally burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, generating dangerous haze that then gets trapped over the capital as colder air sets in.

Public Health and Economic Impact

The economic and health consequences on the approximately 33 million inhabitants calling home the Delhi area is enormous, according to multiple investigations.

The contaminated air causes high levels of nervous system, heart and circulatory and breathing diseases, and can result in oncological diseases.

Air quality crisis is projected to be responsible for 10,000 premature fatalities each year in Delhi.