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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered exposed to severely hazardous air that was classified as the "critical" range.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Levels

Various sections of Delhi recorded an AQI above 500, which translates to 10x the healthy level recommended by the World Health Organization.

Certain monitoring stations, levels of toxic particulate matter reached peaks of eighteen hundred, amounting to 15-20x above healthy levels.

Fireworks Restrictions and Recent Policy Shifts

Since 2020, the government had enforced a complete ban on the sale and use of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their major role to the hazardous pollution that covers the city as colder weather sets in.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the newly elected local government approached the highest court to propose a relaxation of the ban.

Officials advocated for allowing "green crackers" – which have been doubted by environmentalists as being only approximately one-third lower impact – as a compromise between "cultural practices and public health".

Legal Decision and Reality

Despite concerns of environmental and health advocates, the court approved the proposal, mandating that green firecrackers could be ignited during specific hours throughout the celebrations.

Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable violation of the regulated periods across the city, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the supposedly greener variety.

Many monitoring devices throughout the city showed contamination reaching highest levels around midnight to some of the worst measurements observed during celebrations in at least the past three years.

Regional Consequences

Extensive ignition of pyrotechnics during Diwali also sparked a controversy with adjacent Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani Punjab province partially attributing worsening atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on contaminants coming from neighboring India following the festivities.

Persistent Pollution Crisis

Extremely elevated levels of pollution in Delhi have remained as a significant problem for more than 15 years, with the condition gradually deteriorating.

During Diwali, the concentration of toxic airborne contaminants in the air has been documented to spike to significantly exceeding the worst records ever measured in China's capital, which was formerly regarded as the globally most contaminated urban center.

Various Pollution Sources

The problem in the city is resulting from a convergence of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, building projects, waste incineration and pollutants from crop residue ignition in neighbouring states of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, rural residents illegally set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, generating toxic smog that becomes contained over the city as winter air sets in.

Public Health and Economic Consequences

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

This pollution causes high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and lung conditions, and can even lead to cancer.

The pollution is projected to be accounting for 10,000 untimely deaths each year in the capital.