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On Tuesday morning residents of the world's most polluted city found themselves inhaling extremely polluted air that fell into the "critical" range.

Alarming Pollution Levels

Various sections of the capital registered an AQI over 500, which translates to 10x the recommended threshold established by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1800, equating to 15 to 20 times higher than healthy levels.

Fireworks Ban and Current Policy Shifts

Since 2020, the government had enforced a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during celebrations due to their substantial impact to the dangerous smog that engulfs the capital as the cold season sets in.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the newly elected city leadership approached the judicial authority to request a relaxation of the ban.

Officials advocated for allowing "green crackers" – previously doubted by conservation groups as being only about 30% reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "heritage and environment".

Judicial Verdict and Reality

To the disappointment of public health and environmental advocates, judicial authorities approved the request, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during designated time windows throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was extensive disregard of the time restrictions across the metropolis, with minimal monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the more environmentally friendly variety.

Numerous air quality sensors throughout Delhi registered contamination reaching highest levels around the night hours to the most severe measurements seen during celebrations in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Effects

Extensive ignition of fireworks during the celebrations also triggered a controversy with neighbouring the neighboring country, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab partly blaming worsening pollution levels in Lahore on contaminants coming from neighboring India following the celebrations.

Chronic Environmental Crisis

Alarmingly severe readings of air contamination in Delhi have persisted as a major issue for more than 15 years, with the condition gradually deteriorating.

During celebratory seasons, the amount of hazardous airborne contaminants in the environment has been documented to increase dramatically to seventy percent above the peak readings ever recorded in Beijing, which was formerly viewed as the world's most polluted city.

Various Contamination Sources

The problem in the city is resulting from a convergence of different contributors including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, development work, garbage fires and smoke from crop residue ignition in adjacent areas of Punjab and Haryana.

In these regions, agricultural workers routinely burn crop residue to prepare for next season, creating toxic smog that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as cooler air arrives.

Medical and Economic Consequences

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

This pollution leads to increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and breathing diseases, and can potentially cause cancer.

The pollution is calculated to be accounting for ten thousand premature mortalities annually in the capital.