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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves breathing severely hazardous air that fell into the "alarming" range.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Measurements

Various sections of Delhi showed an AQI above 500, which represents 10x the healthy threshold recommended by the WHO.

In some locations, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1800, amounting to 15 to 20 times higher than acceptable standards.

Firecracker Restrictions and Current Developments

Beginning in 2020, authorities had enforced a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their substantial impact to the dangerous haze that covers the city as colder weather approaches.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the current regional government petitioned the supreme court to request a relaxation of the ban.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – which have been criticized by conservation groups as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a balance between "heritage and public health".

Legal Ruling and Reality

To the disappointment of environmental and health activists, the court approved the appeal, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during limited time windows throughout the Diwali.

Throughout the festival evening, there was widespread disregard of the time restrictions across the capital, with little regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the more environmentally friendly version.

Numerous air quality sensors throughout the city recorded air quality reaching highest levels around late evening to the most severe measurements observed during the festival in at least the past three years.

International Consequences

Extensive ignition of fireworks during the celebrations also initiated a dispute with bordering the neighboring country, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab partially attributing declining pollution levels in the city of Lahore on pollutants originating in neighboring India following the events.

Chronic Environmental Crisis

The dangerously high concentrations of air contamination in the city have persisted as a major problem for over a decade and a half, with the condition showing no improvement.

Around celebratory seasons, the amount of toxic airborne contaminants in the environment has been observed to shoot up to 70% higher the peak records ever recorded in China's capital, which was once considered as the world's most polluted urban center.

Diverse Pollution Factors

The situation in the city is resulting from a convergence of various sources including transportation pollution, dust, development work, waste incineration and smoke from crop residue ignition in adjacent states of farming communities.

Within these states, farmers illegally set their fields on fire to prepare for next season, creating hazardous smog that becomes contained over the capital as colder air sets in.

Public Health and Financial Consequences

The economic and health consequences on the approximately 33 million inhabitants residing in the metropolitan zone is substantial, according to multiple studies.

These hazardous conditions leads to elevated rates of neurological, cardiovascular and breathing conditions, and can result in cancer.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be causing approximately 10k untimely deaths annually in the city.