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On Tuesday morning citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis found themselves breathing extremely polluted air that fell into the "severe" range.

Extremely High Air Quality Measurements

Multiple areas of the city showed an air quality index exceeding 500, which equals ten times the recommended limit recommended by the global health authority.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of 1800, equating to 15-20x higher than acceptable levels.

Fireworks Prohibition and New Policy Shifts

Beginning in 2020, authorities had maintained a total prohibition on the sale and use of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the dangerous smog that covers the metropolis as colder weather approaches.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the current city government approached the judicial authority to seek a relaxation of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been criticized by environmentalists as being only approximately one-third reduced emissions – as a compromise between "cultural practices and environment".

Court Ruling and Reality

Despite concerns of public health and environmental advocates, judicial authorities approved the request, mandating that green firecrackers could be used during designated time windows throughout the celebrations.

Throughout the festival evening, there was widespread violation of the designated hours across the city, with little enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the eco-friendly type.

Several recording stations throughout the city showed pollution spiking around midnight to some of the worst measurements observed during celebrations in at least three years.

Cross-Border Consequences

The widespread use of fireworks during the celebrations also triggered a dispute with neighbouring Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani the Punjab region partially attributing worsening pollution levels in Lahore on pollutants originating in neighboring India following the celebrations.

Chronic Environmental Problem

Extremely elevated readings of air contamination in the capital have remained as a serious challenge for fifteen-plus years, with the situation gradually deteriorating.

During the festival period, the amount of toxic particles in the environment has been documented to shoot up to significantly exceeding the most severe records ever measured in Beijing, which was once viewed as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Various Contamination Contributors

This crisis in the city is caused by a combination of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, development work, rubbish burning and haze from crop residue ignition in nearby states of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, rural residents routinely burn crop residue to prepare for next season, creating dangerous pollution that then gets trapped over the city as cooler air sets in.

Health and Financial Consequences

Public health and economic toll on the nearly 33 million inhabitants calling home the metropolitan zone is enormous, according to various studies.

This pollution leads to high levels of nervous system, heart and circulatory and lung diseases, and can even lead to oncological diseases.

The pollution is projected to be accounting for 10,000 untimely fatalities annually in Delhi.