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On Tuesday morning citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis found themselves exposed to dangerously toxic air that was classified as the "critical" range.

Alarming Air Quality Readings

Several parts of the capital recorded an air quality index above 500, which represents 10x the healthy threshold established by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of eighteen hundred, amounting to fifteen to twenty times higher than acceptable limits.

Firecracker Restrictions and Current Policy Shifts

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a complete ban on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during Diwali due to their major role to the dangerous smog that covers the capital as the cold season begins.

Nevertheless in recent months, the recently formed local administration petitioned the highest court to request a modification of the ban.

Officials advocated for allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – historically criticized by conservation groups as being only about 30% less polluting – as a middle ground between "cultural practices and environment".

Legal Decision and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of environmental and health advocates, judicial authorities approved the appeal, specifying that green firecrackers could be ignited during limited time windows throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was considerable disregard of the regulated periods across the city, with little monitoring regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Several air quality sensors throughout the city registered pollution peaking around the night hours to some of the worst readings seen during the festival in at least the past three years.

Cross-Border Consequences

The widespread use of fireworks during Diwali also triggered a dispute with neighbouring the neighboring country, with representatives in Pakistan's the Punjab region partly blaming declining air quality in Lahore on hazardous particles originating in neighboring India following the events.

Persistent Pollution Problem

Extremely elevated concentrations of atmospheric toxins in the city have continued as a serious issue for more than 15 years, with the situation continuing to worsen.

Near Diwali, the levels of toxic particulate matter in the air has been found to spike to 70% higher the worst levels ever documented in China's capital, which was once considered as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Diverse Contamination Contributors

This crisis in Delhi is resulting from a combination of different contributors including heavy vehicle emissions, airborne particles, development work, garbage fires and pollutants from farm burning in nearby regions of farming communities.

In these regions, agricultural workers illegally burn crop residue to prepare for next season, producing dangerous haze that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as cooler air sets in.

Health and Financial Consequences

Both financial and medical consequences on the nearly 33 million inhabitants residing in the Delhi area is significant, according to various investigations.

This pollution results in high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, and can result in cancer.

The pollution is estimated to be accounting for ten thousand early deaths annually in the city.