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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of the world's most polluted city encountered exposed to severely hazardous air that fell into the "severe" level.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Measurements

Several parts of the capital showed an pollution measurement exceeding 500, which represents ten times the healthy level recommended by the global health authority.

In some locations, concentrations of toxic particulate matter soared to of 1800, amounting to fifteen to twenty times higher than healthy standards.

Firecracker Prohibition and Current Developments

Since 2020, officials had maintained a total prohibition on the sale and use of firecrackers during Diwali due to their substantial impact to the deadly haze that engulfs the metropolis as colder weather approaches.

Yet earlier this year, the recently formed regional government appealed to the highest court to seek a relaxation of the ban.

The suggestion was allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been questioned by environmental experts as being only about 30% lower impact – as a balance between "cultural practices and ecological concerns".

Judicial Decision and Implementation

To the disappointment of medical and ecological activists, judges agreed to the request, mandating that green firecrackers could be used during limited periods throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was extensive flouting of the regulated periods across the capital, with little regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the more environmentally friendly version.

Several air quality sensors throughout the capital showed air quality peaking around the night hours to some of the worst readings observed during celebrations in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Implications

The widespread use of fireworks during the celebrations also initiated a controversy with adjacent Pakistan, with officials in Pakistani Punjab partially attributing worsening atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on contaminants traveling from India following the events.

Persistent Environmental Issue

Extremely elevated readings of atmospheric toxins in the capital have persisted as a major issue for over a decade and a half, with the situation continuing to worsen.

During Diwali, the levels of toxic airborne contaminants in the air has been observed to increase dramatically to seventy percent above the peak readings ever measured in Beijing, which was formerly viewed as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Multiple Contamination Factors

The problem in the city is attributed to a mix of various sources including automobile exhaust, construction debris, development work, waste incineration and pollutants from crop residue ignition in neighbouring regions of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, agricultural workers regularly burn crop residue to clear them quickly, producing dangerous haze that remains stagnant over the city as winter air arrives.

Health and Financial Toll

Both financial and medical consequences on the nearly 33 million residents calling home the metropolitan zone is significant, according to multiple research.

This pollution causes elevated rates of nervous system, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can result in oncological diseases.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be accounting for approximately 10k premature mortalities per year in Delhi.