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On Tuesday morning citizens of the world's most polluted city were faced with inhaling extremely polluted air that registered in the "severe" category.

Alarming Air Quality Readings

Several parts of the city registered an AQI exceeding 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the healthy threshold established by the WHO.

Particular areas, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of 1800, representing 15-20x above acceptable limits.

Fireworks Restrictions and New Changes

Beginning in 2020, authorities had enforced a total prohibition on the sale and use of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the dangerous smog that covers the city as winter sets in.

However recently, the recently formed local government approached the supreme court to request a relaxation of the ban.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – previously criticized by environmentalists as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a compromise between "cultural practices and ecological concerns".

Court Ruling and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of environmental and health campaigners, judges approved the appeal, mandating that green firecrackers could be used during specific hours throughout the celebrations.

On Monday night, there was considerable disregard of the regulated periods across the metropolis, with minimal regulation regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the more environmentally friendly type.

Many monitoring devices throughout Delhi showed pollution peaking around midnight to some of the worst levels seen during Diwali in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Implications

The proliferation of fireworks during Diwali also triggered a dispute with adjacent Pakistan, with officials in Pakistan's Punjab pointing to worsening pollution levels in their urban centers on hazardous particles originating in across the border following the events.

Persistent Pollution Issue

The dangerously high levels of air contamination in Delhi have continued as a major problem for over a decade and a half, with the situation continuing to worsen.

Around the festival period, the concentration of dangerous particulate matter in the air has been found to spike to significantly exceeding the worst records ever measured in Beijing, which was formerly regarded as the planet's dirtiest city.

Diverse Pollution Factors

The problem in the capital is caused by a mix of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, building projects, waste incineration and haze from farm burning in nearby states of neighboring agricultural zones.

Within these states, rural residents regularly ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, producing toxic smog that remains stagnant over the city as cooler air sets in.

Medical and Financial Consequences

The economic and health impact on the approximately 33 million residents calling home the Delhi area is enormous, according to numerous studies.

This pollution results in elevated rates of nervous system, cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, and can result in malignancies.

Environmental contamination is estimated to be responsible for 10,000 untimely fatalities annually in the city.