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As Tuesday dawned citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered exposed to severely hazardous air that fell into the "alarming" level.

Extremely High Pollution Readings

Various sections of the city recorded an pollution measurement exceeding 500, which translates to 10x the recommended threshold set by the World Health Organization.

Particular areas, concentrations of toxic particulate matter hit highs of 1,800, equating to 15-20x exceeding safe levels.

Firecracker Ban and New Developments

Since 2020, the government had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the deadly smog that engulfs the metropolis as the cold season sets in.

Nevertheless recently, the recently formed local administration approached the supreme court to propose a relaxation of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been questioned by conservation groups as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a compromise between "heritage and ecological concerns".

Judicial Ruling and Enforcement

To the disappointment of environmental and health campaigners, judges agreed to the proposal, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during specific periods throughout the Diwali.

During the celebrations, there was considerable violation of the designated hours across the city, with minimal regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the more environmentally friendly version.

Numerous air quality sensors throughout Delhi registered air quality reaching highest levels around midnight to the most severe measurements observed during the festival in at least recent memory.

Regional Consequences

The widespread use of fireworks during the celebrations also sparked a blame game with neighbouring Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani Punjab partially attributing worsening atmospheric conditions in Lahore on pollutants originating in neighboring India following the events.

Persistent Pollution Problem

Extremely elevated concentrations of pollution in Delhi have remained as a serious issue for fifteen-plus years, with the situation continuing to worsen.

Around celebratory seasons, the levels of dangerous particles in the environment has been observed to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the most severe levels ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was once considered as the planet's dirtiest city.

Diverse Contamination Factors

The situation in Delhi is resulting from a combination of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, construction activities, waste incineration and smoke from agricultural fires in adjacent areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

Throughout these areas, farmers routinely ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, creating toxic haze that remains stagnant over the city as winter air arrives.

Health and Economic Impact

Both financial and medical impact on the nearly 33 million residents residing in the metropolitan zone is enormous, according to multiple studies.

This pollution causes high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and breathing diseases, and can result in malignancies.

Air quality crisis is projected to be accounting for ten thousand premature fatalities per year in the capital.