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As Tuesday dawned residents of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with inhaling severely hazardous air that fell into the "critical" level.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Measurements

Multiple areas of Delhi recorded an AQI exceeding 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the healthy limit recommended by the WHO.

Particular areas, levels of dangerous airborne particles soared to of 1800, representing 15-20x exceeding acceptable standards.

Firecracker Restrictions and Current Policy Shifts

Since 2020, authorities had enforced a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the dangerous pollution that engulfs the capital as colder weather begins.

Nevertheless recently, the newly elected local government appealed to the highest court to propose a easing of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – which have been questioned by environmentalists as being only approximately one-third reduced emissions – as a compromise between "cultural practices and public health".

Legal Ruling and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental advocates, judges approved the request, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during limited hours throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was widespread disregard of the designated hours across the capital, with little monitoring regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly version.

Several monitoring devices throughout the capital registered pollution reaching highest levels around late evening to some of the worst measurements seen during Diwali in at least the past three years.

Regional Consequences

Extensive ignition of fireworks during the celebrations also sparked a controversy with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's the Punjab region partly blaming worsening atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on hazardous particles coming from India following the celebrations.

Long-Standing Pollution Problem

The dangerously high levels of pollution in the capital have remained as a significant issue for more than 15 years, with the situation continuing to worsen.

Around Diwali, the concentration of toxic particulate matter in the air has been observed to increase dramatically to 70% higher the most severe records ever recorded in Beijing, which was formerly considered as the globally most contaminated urban center.

Multiple Contamination Factors

This crisis in the capital is attributed to a combination of multiple factors including transportation pollution, construction debris, construction activities, rubbish burning and smoke from agricultural fires in adjacent regions of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, farmers illegally set their fields on fire to clear them quickly, generating hazardous smog that remains stagnant over the city as winter air sets in.

Health and Financial Toll

Both financial and medical impact on the nearly 33 million inhabitants residing in the Delhi area is significant, according to various studies.

This pollution results in elevated rates of nervous system, heart and circulatory and breathing conditions, and can result in oncological diseases.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be causing ten thousand early fatalities per year in the capital.