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Tuesday brought citizens of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves inhaling extremely polluted air that was classified as the "critical" level.

Extremely High Air Quality Levels

Multiple areas of Delhi recorded an air quality index above 500, which translates to 10x the safe level established by the global health authority.

Particular areas, readings of dangerous airborne particles soared to of eighteen hundred, amounting to 15-20x exceeding healthy levels.

Firecracker Restrictions and Current Changes

Beginning in 2020, authorities had maintained a complete ban on the distribution and bursting of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their major role to the dangerous haze that blankets the city as colder weather sets in.

However in recent months, the current city leadership appealed to the supreme court to propose a easing of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically criticized by environmental experts as being only approximately one-third lower impact – as a balance between "heritage and public health".

Legal Ruling and Implementation

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental activists, the court agreed to the request, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during designated periods throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was extensive flouting of the regulated periods across the metropolis, with little regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the more environmentally friendly type.

Numerous air quality sensors throughout the city showed pollution peaking around the night hours to the most severe measurements observed during Diwali in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Effects

The proliferation of fireworks during the celebrations also initiated a controversy with bordering Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistan's the Punjab region partly blaming deteriorating air quality in their urban centers on hazardous particles coming from neighboring India following the celebrations.

Long-Standing Environmental Problem

The dangerously high levels of pollution in the capital have remained as a significant problem for more than 15 years, with the condition showing no improvement.

During celebratory seasons, the amount of hazardous particulate matter in the atmosphere has been observed to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the worst readings ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was previously viewed as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Multiple Contamination Sources

The situation in Delhi is caused by a combination of various sources including transportation pollution, construction debris, construction activities, garbage fires and haze from agricultural fires in nearby states of Punjab and Haryana.

In these regions, farmers illegally ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, generating toxic smog that then gets trapped over the city as winter air arrives.

Public Health and Financial Impact

Both financial and medical impact on the approximately 33 million inhabitants residing in the metropolitan zone is significant, according to multiple research.

The contaminated air results in increased incidence of neurological, heart and circulatory and respiratory disorders, and can even lead to cancer.

The pollution is estimated to be responsible for ten thousand early fatalities each year in the capital.