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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the world's most polluted city encountered inhaling dangerously toxic air that registered in the "severe" range.

Extremely High Pollution Readings

Several parts of the city showed an air quality index exceeding 500, which represents 10x the safe level recommended by the WHO.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of eighteen hundred, representing 15-20x above safe limits.

Firecracker Ban and Recent Changes

Since 2020, officials had enforced a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the dangerous pollution that blankets the capital as colder weather sets in.

However recently, the recently formed regional government petitioned the judicial authority to request a relaxation of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously criticized by conservation groups as being only about 30% lower impact – as a compromise between "tradition and public health".

Legal Ruling and Enforcement

To the disappointment of environmental and health campaigners, the court agreed to the proposal, stipulating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be ignited during limited periods throughout the celebrations.

During the celebrations, there was considerable flouting of the regulated periods across the capital, with little regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly version.

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

International Consequences

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during Diwali also triggered a blame game with adjacent the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistani Punjab province partly blaming worsening pollution levels in the city of Lahore on contaminants traveling from neighboring India following the celebrations.

Chronic Pollution Problem

Extremely elevated readings of pollution in Delhi have persisted as a significant problem for over a decade and a half, with the problem continuing to worsen.

Around the festival period, the levels of toxic airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been documented to shoot up to seventy percent above the most severe readings ever measured in China's capital, which was previously considered as the world's most polluted city.

Multiple Pollution Factors

This crisis in Delhi is resulting from a convergence of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, airborne particles, building projects, rubbish burning and pollutants from agricultural fires in nearby regions of neighboring agricultural zones.

Throughout these areas, farmers illegally ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, producing dangerous haze that then gets trapped over the city as winter air descends.

Public Health and Economic Impact

Both financial and medical toll on the nearly 33 million people living in the Delhi area is substantial, according to various investigations.

The contaminated air results in increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and lung conditions, and can result in oncological diseases.

Environmental contamination is calculated to be responsible for ten thousand premature mortalities each year in Delhi.