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As Tuesday dawned citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with inhaling extremely polluted air that was classified as the "alarming" level.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Readings

Multiple areas of the capital registered an AQI over 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the safe threshold set by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1800, representing 15-20x exceeding safe standards.

Fireworks Restrictions and Current Policy Shifts

Since 2020, the government had enforced a complete ban on the distribution and bursting of fireworks during Diwali due to their substantial impact to the hazardous haze that engulfs the city as winter approaches.

Yet recently, the current local government appealed to the highest court to seek a relaxation of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously criticized by environmentalists as being only about 30% reduced emissions – as a balance between "tradition and environment".

Judicial Verdict and Reality

Much to the frustration of medical and ecological advocates, the court complied with the proposal, stipulating that green firecrackers could be used during specific hours throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was considerable violation of the time restrictions across the capital, with minimal enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the more environmentally friendly variety.

Numerous air quality sensors throughout Delhi registered pollution peaking around the night hours to the most severe levels seen during the festival in at least the past three years.

Regional Implications

The proliferation of fireworks during Diwali also triggered a dispute with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab partly blaming deteriorating pollution levels in their urban centers on pollutants traveling from across the border following the celebrations.

Long-Standing Pollution Problem

The dangerously high levels of pollution in the capital have remained as a significant issue for over a decade and a half, with the condition showing no improvement.

Around Diwali, the amount of toxic particles in the environment has been documented to shoot up to 70% higher the most severe records ever documented in the Chinese city, which was formerly regarded as the planet's dirtiest metropolis.

Various Pollution Contributors

The problem in the capital is attributed to a combination of multiple factors including automobile exhaust, construction debris, development work, garbage fires and haze from crop residue ignition in adjacent regions of Punjab and Haryana.

In these regions, agricultural workers regularly set their fields on fire to clear them quickly, generating hazardous haze that becomes contained over the city as colder air descends.

Medical and Financial Impact

The economic and health consequences on the nearly 33 million inhabitants living in the capital region is significant, according to multiple studies.

This pollution leads to increased incidence of nervous system, cardiovascular and lung disorders, and can potentially cause malignancies.

Air quality crisis is calculated to be responsible for approximately 10k untimely mortalities each year in Delhi.