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Tuesday brought inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered breathing severely hazardous air that registered in the "severe" category.

Alarming Pollution Measurements

Various sections of the capital showed an AQI over 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the healthy level recommended by the WHO.

Certain monitoring stations, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of 1800, amounting to 15 to 20 times higher than safe limits.

Firecracker Restrictions and New Developments

Beginning in 2020, officials had enforced a complete ban on the purchase and ignition of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their major role to the dangerous haze that blankets the metropolis as colder weather sets in.

Nevertheless in recent months, the newly elected local government appealed to the highest court to request a relaxation of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically questioned by environmental experts as being only about 30% less polluting – as a compromise between "cultural practices and ecological concerns".

Legal Decision and Enforcement

To the disappointment of environmental and health campaigners, the court complied with the appeal, specifying that environmentally conscious fireworks could be set off during limited time windows throughout the celebrations.

On Monday night, there was considerable flouting of the regulated periods across the city, with little regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Many air quality sensors throughout Delhi registered contamination peaking around midnight to some of the worst measurements seen during Diwali in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Effects

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the celebrations also initiated a controversy with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab partly blaming deteriorating pollution levels in the city of Lahore on hazardous particles traveling from India following the events.

Chronic Environmental Problem

The dangerously high readings of atmospheric toxins in Delhi have remained as a major challenge for more than 15 years, with the situation showing no improvement.

Near celebratory seasons, the concentration of toxic airborne contaminants in the air has been observed to shoot up to significantly exceeding the worst records ever documented in the Chinese city, which was previously considered as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Multiple Contamination Factors

The problem in the capital is attributed to a convergence of different contributors including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, construction activities, garbage fires and pollutants from farm burning in nearby regions of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, agricultural workers routinely burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, creating toxic haze that then gets trapped over the capital as winter air sets in.

Public Health and Financial Toll

Both financial and medical toll on the approximately 33 million people calling home the Delhi area is significant, according to multiple studies.

The contaminated air leads to increased incidence of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing disorders, and can potentially cause malignancies.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be responsible for ten thousand untimely mortalities annually in the capital.