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Tuesday brought residents of the world's most polluted city were faced with inhaling dangerously toxic air that registered in the "severe" level.

Alarming Air Quality Levels

Multiple areas of the capital recorded an AQI over 500, which represents 10x the healthy limit recommended by the WHO.

Certain monitoring stations, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1,800, representing 15 to 20 times above safe levels.

Fireworks Ban and New Developments

Since 2020, the government had implemented a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the deadly haze that covers the capital as the cold season sets in.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the current local government appealed to the highest court to seek a relaxation of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously doubted by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a compromise between "tradition and public health".

Judicial Ruling and Implementation

Much to the frustration of environmental and health campaigners, judges approved the proposal, specifying that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during limited time windows throughout the festival.

Throughout the festival evening, there was extensive flouting of the time restrictions across the capital, with insufficient monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly type.

Numerous monitoring devices throughout the capital showed contamination spiking around the night hours to extremely hazardous levels recorded during celebrations in at least the past three years.

International Implications

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during the celebrations also initiated a blame game with neighbouring Pakistan, with officials in Pakistani Punjab partially attributing deteriorating atmospheric conditions in Lahore on hazardous particles traveling from India following the festivities.

Chronic Environmental Crisis

Extremely elevated concentrations of air contamination in Delhi have persisted as a significant challenge for more than 15 years, with the condition showing no improvement.

During the festival period, the amount of toxic particulate matter in the atmosphere has been observed to shoot up to 70% higher the peak levels ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was once viewed as the world's most polluted city.

Diverse Pollution Sources

The situation in Delhi is resulting from a convergence of different contributors including transportation pollution, dust, building projects, rubbish burning and haze from crop residue ignition in adjacent areas of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, farmers illegally set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, generating hazardous smog that then gets trapped over the city as winter air sets in.

Health and Financial Impact

Both financial and medical consequences on the roughly thirty-three million inhabitants residing in the metropolitan zone is substantial, according to numerous investigations.

This pollution causes high levels of neurological, heart and circulatory and lung disorders, and can potentially cause malignancies.

Environmental contamination is estimated to be accounting for approximately 10k early deaths per year in the capital.