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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the world's most polluted city were faced with breathing dangerously toxic air that was classified as the "critical" category.

Extremely High Air Quality Readings

Several parts of the city recorded an AQI exceeding 500, which translates to 10x the safe threshold set by the WHO.

Particular areas, levels of dangerous airborne particles soared to of 1,800, representing 15-20x exceeding acceptable standards.

Firecracker Ban and Recent Policy Shifts

Since 2020, the government had implemented a complete ban on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the deadly smog that covers the capital as colder weather begins.

However recently, the newly elected city leadership appealed to the highest court to request a modification of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been doubted by environmental experts as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "heritage and public health".

Court Ruling and Implementation

Despite concerns of environmental and health campaigners, judges agreed to the appeal, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be used during designated time windows throughout the celebrations.

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

Numerous monitoring devices throughout the city showed contamination peaking around late evening to some of the worst readings observed during Diwali in at least the past three years.

Cross-Border Consequences

Extensive ignition of pyrotechnics during the festival also sparked a dispute with neighbouring the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistani the Punjab region pointing to deteriorating atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on hazardous particles originating in across the border following the celebrations.

Long-Standing Pollution Problem

The dangerously high levels of atmospheric toxins in the capital have continued as a significant problem for over a decade and a half, with the problem continuing to worsen.

Around celebratory seasons, the levels of toxic particulate matter in the air has been found to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the peak records ever documented in the Chinese city, which was once viewed as the world's most polluted city.

Various Contamination Sources

The situation in the capital is resulting from a mix of different contributors including transportation pollution, construction debris, construction activities, garbage fires and haze from crop residue ignition in neighbouring areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

In these regions, farmers regularly burn crop residue to clear them quickly, creating dangerous smog that becomes contained over the city as winter air arrives.

Public Health and Financial Impact

Both financial and medical impact on the approximately 33 million people residing in the Delhi area is enormous, according to multiple research.

These hazardous conditions leads to elevated rates of nervous system, heart and circulatory and breathing disorders, and can result in cancer.

The pollution is estimated to be causing 10,000 early deaths each year in the capital.