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Tuesday brought residents of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered inhaling extremely polluted air that fell into the "severe" category.

Alarming Air Quality Levels

Multiple areas of the city recorded an pollution measurement above 500, which equals 10x the healthy level recommended by the global health authority.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of 1800, equating to 15 to 20 times exceeding safe levels.

Firecracker Prohibition and New Policy Shifts

Since 2020, authorities had maintained a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of firecrackers during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the dangerous smog that engulfs the city as the cold season begins.

Yet recently, the current city government appealed to the supreme court to seek a easing of the restrictions.

Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically questioned by conservation groups as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a middle ground between "heritage and public health".

Court Ruling and Reality

To the disappointment of environmental and health activists, the court complied with the request, specifying that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during designated hours throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was considerable flouting of the designated hours across the metropolis, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly type.

Many air quality sensors throughout the city registered air quality peaking around late evening to extremely hazardous levels seen during the festival in at least the past three years.

Cross-Border Effects

Extensive ignition of pyrotechnics during the celebrations also triggered a blame game with neighbouring Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistan's Punjab partially attributing deteriorating air quality in their urban centers on contaminants originating in across the border following the celebrations.

Persistent Environmental Issue

Extremely elevated readings of pollution in the city have continued as a serious challenge for more than 15 years, with the condition showing no improvement.

During celebratory seasons, the levels of toxic particles in the air has been documented to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the most severe levels ever recorded in China's capital, which was formerly considered as the globally most contaminated city.

Diverse Pollution Factors

This crisis in the city is resulting from a mix of different contributors including transportation pollution, construction debris, construction activities, waste incineration and haze from farm burning in neighbouring states of neighboring agricultural zones.

Within these states, rural residents illegally ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, creating dangerous smog that remains stagnant over the city as winter air arrives.

Health and Financial Impact

Both financial and medical consequences on the approximately 33 million people residing in the Delhi area is enormous, according to various studies.

The contaminated air leads to high levels of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing diseases, and can even lead to cancer.

Environmental contamination is projected to be causing 10,000 untimely mortalities per year in the capital.