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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the world's most polluted city were faced with inhaling extremely polluted air that was classified as the "alarming" category.

Extremely High Air Quality Measurements

Several parts of Delhi registered an pollution measurement over 500, which equals 10x the safe level recommended by the WHO.

Certain monitoring stations, levels of dangerous airborne particles reached peaks of 1,800, amounting to fifteen to twenty times higher than acceptable limits.

Fireworks Ban and Recent Policy Shifts

Beginning in 2020, the government had implemented a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the dangerous smog that engulfs the capital as winter begins.

However recently, the recently formed city leadership appealed to the supreme court to propose a easing of the prohibition.

The suggestion was allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – historically criticized by environmental experts as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a compromise between "tradition and public health".

Court Decision and Implementation

To the disappointment of public health and environmental advocates, judges complied with the proposal, mandating that green firecrackers could be used during designated periods throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was widespread violation of the regulated periods across the capital, with little monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Many air quality sensors throughout the city recorded contamination spiking around late evening to some of the worst readings recorded during celebrations in at least recent memory.

International Consequences

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also initiated a controversy with bordering the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistan's Punjab province partially attributing deteriorating atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on contaminants coming from across the border following the festivities.

Persistent Environmental Problem

Extremely elevated readings of pollution in Delhi have continued as a significant problem for over a decade and a half, with the problem continuing to worsen.

During celebratory seasons, the levels of toxic airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been documented to spike to seventy percent above the most severe levels ever measured in China's capital, which was formerly considered as the world's most polluted city.

Various Contamination Sources

This crisis in Delhi is caused by a convergence of various sources including transportation pollution, dust, building projects, garbage fires and haze from crop residue ignition in adjacent areas of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, agricultural workers illegally set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, producing hazardous pollution that remains stagnant over the city as winter air arrives.

Medical and Financial Impact

Public health and economic consequences on the approximately 33 million inhabitants living in the capital region is significant, according to numerous research.

These hazardous conditions results in increased incidence of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing disorders, and can even lead to malignancies.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be accounting for approximately 10k untimely deaths each year in the capital.