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Tuesday brought inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered exposed to dangerously toxic air that registered in the "critical" category.

Extremely High Pollution Levels

Several parts of Delhi recorded an AQI exceeding 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the healthy limit established by the WHO.

Certain monitoring stations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of 1,800, equating to 15 to 20 times exceeding healthy levels.

Firecracker Restrictions and Recent Policy Shifts

Since 2020, officials had implemented a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of pyrotechnics during Diwali due to their major role to the dangerous pollution that covers the city as the cold season sets in.

Yet recently, the current local leadership petitioned the supreme court to propose a easing of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been doubted by environmental experts as being only about 30% lower impact – as a balance between "cultural practices and public health".

Legal Ruling and Implementation

To the disappointment of environmental and health campaigners, the court approved the appeal, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during limited periods throughout the celebrations.

Throughout the festival evening, there was extensive violation of the designated hours across the capital, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Numerous air quality sensors throughout Delhi registered contamination reaching highest levels around the night hours to extremely hazardous measurements seen during celebrations in at least the past three years.

Regional Effects

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also sparked a controversy with adjacent the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistani Punjab province pointing to deteriorating atmospheric conditions in Lahore on hazardous particles originating in neighboring India following the festivities.

Persistent Environmental Crisis

Extremely elevated concentrations of pollution in the capital have persisted as a major problem for over a decade and a half, with the situation gradually deteriorating.

Near Diwali, the levels of dangerous particles in the environment has been found to shoot up to significantly exceeding the most severe records ever measured in the Chinese city, which was once viewed as the globally most contaminated city.

Various Contamination Factors

The problem in Delhi is attributed to a combination of different contributors including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, construction activities, garbage fires and smoke from agricultural fires in nearby regions of Punjab and Haryana.

In these regions, agricultural workers regularly set their fields on fire to prepare for next season, generating dangerous smog that remains stagnant over the capital as winter air sets in.

Public Health and Financial Consequences

The economic and health consequences on the approximately 33 million residents residing in the capital region is significant, according to numerous studies.

This pollution causes high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and breathing disorders, and can potentially cause cancer.

Environmental contamination is calculated to be causing approximately 10k early deaths each year in Delhi.