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Tuesday brought citizens of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves breathing extremely polluted air that was classified as the "severe" level.

Extremely High Pollution Measurements

Several parts of Delhi showed an AQI over 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the recommended limit recommended by the WHO.

In some locations, concentrations of dangerous airborne particles reached peaks of 1,800, amounting to 15-20x exceeding acceptable standards.

Pyrotechnics Prohibition and Current Developments

Since 2020, officials had enforced a complete ban on the distribution and bursting of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the dangerous pollution that covers the metropolis as colder weather approaches.

Yet recently, the current local administration petitioned the highest court to seek a modification of the ban.

Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically questioned by environmental experts as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a compromise between "heritage and public health".

Court Verdict and Reality

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental activists, judicial authorities approved the request, mandating that green firecrackers could be set off during specific time windows throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was extensive violation of the time restrictions across the metropolis, with little regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the more environmentally friendly type.

Many monitoring devices throughout Delhi showed pollution peaking around midnight to the most severe levels seen during the festival in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Consequences

The widespread use of fireworks during the festival also initiated a dispute with neighbouring Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistan's Punjab province partly blaming worsening atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on pollutants coming from across the border following the events.

Chronic Pollution Problem

The dangerously high readings of air contamination in the capital have persisted as a significant problem for more than 15 years, with the problem showing no improvement.

Around the festival period, the concentration of dangerous particulate matter in the air has been documented to spike to 70% higher the peak readings ever documented in the Chinese city, which was formerly viewed as the planet's dirtiest city.

Various Pollution Factors

The situation in Delhi is caused by a mix of different contributors including transportation pollution, airborne particles, development work, waste incineration and haze from farm burning in adjacent areas of farming communities.

Within these states, agricultural workers regularly set their fields on fire to prepare for next season, creating dangerous haze that remains stagnant over the capital as cooler air descends.

Public Health and Economic Toll

Public health and economic toll on the approximately 33 million residents calling home the Delhi area is enormous, according to numerous research.

The contaminated air leads to elevated rates of neurological, heart and circulatory and respiratory disorders, and can even lead to cancer.

Air quality crisis is calculated to be responsible for 10,000 premature deaths each year in the city.