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On Tuesday morning residents of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with breathing dangerously toxic air that fell into the "alarming" range.

Alarming Air Quality Measurements

Several parts of the capital showed an AQI over 500, which represents 10x the safe level established by the World Health Organization.

Particular areas, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of eighteen hundred, amounting to 15-20x higher than safe levels.

Firecracker Ban and Current Policy Shifts

Beginning in 2020, authorities had maintained a complete ban on the purchase and ignition of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the deadly pollution that covers the capital as the cold season approaches.

However in recent months, the recently formed city leadership petitioned the highest court to seek a modification of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically doubted by environmental experts as being only about 30% lower impact – as a balance between "tradition and public health".

Court Verdict and Reality

Much to the frustration of medical and ecological activists, the court approved the appeal, stipulating that green firecrackers could be used during limited periods throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was extensive violation of the time restrictions across the city, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the more environmentally friendly variety.

Several air quality sensors throughout Delhi registered contamination reaching highest levels around midnight to the most severe levels seen during the festival in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Consequences

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also initiated a controversy with neighbouring Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani the Punjab region partially attributing worsening air quality in the city of Lahore on contaminants originating in neighboring India following the events.

Long-Standing Pollution Problem

Extremely elevated levels of air contamination in the city have continued as a major issue for more than 15 years, with the situation showing no improvement.

Near Diwali, the concentration of dangerous particles in the atmosphere has been documented to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the most severe levels ever documented in the Chinese city, which was once considered as the planet's dirtiest city.

Multiple Pollution Factors

The situation in Delhi is resulting from a convergence of various sources including automobile exhaust, construction debris, building projects, garbage fires and smoke from farm burning in nearby areas of Punjab and Haryana.

Within these states, rural residents illegally burn crop residue to prepare for next season, producing dangerous pollution that then gets trapped over the city as cooler air arrives.

Public Health and Financial Impact

The economic and health toll on the approximately 33 million residents residing in the Delhi area is substantial, according to various investigations.

This pollution causes high levels of nervous system, heart and circulatory and lung conditions, and can even lead to malignancies.

The pollution is estimated to be causing ten thousand early deaths annually in Delhi.