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Tuesday brought inhabitants of the world's most polluted city encountered breathing extremely polluted air that fell into the "severe" level.

Alarming Pollution Measurements

Various sections of Delhi showed an pollution measurement over 500, which translates to ten times the safe limit established by the global health authority.

Certain monitoring stations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of 1800, amounting to 15-20x higher than safe standards.

Pyrotechnics Restrictions and New Policy Shifts

Since 2020, the government had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the sale and use of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their major role to the dangerous pollution that covers the metropolis as winter approaches.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the newly elected local leadership appealed to the judicial authority to request a relaxation of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been doubted by environmental experts as being only approximately one-third lower impact – as a balance between "heritage and ecological concerns".

Court Decision and Enforcement

To the disappointment of public health and environmental advocates, judicial authorities agreed to the proposal, specifying that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during designated periods throughout the celebrations.

On Monday night, there was extensive disregard of the regulated periods across the metropolis, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Numerous monitoring devices throughout the city recorded pollution spiking around midnight to some of the worst levels recorded during celebrations in at least the past three years.

Regional Implications

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also triggered a controversy with adjacent Pakistan, with officials in Pakistani Punjab province pointing to declining pollution levels in Lahore on contaminants coming from India following the festivities.

Long-Standing Environmental Issue

Extremely elevated readings of air contamination in the city have continued as a major challenge for more than 15 years, with the condition gradually deteriorating.

Around celebratory seasons, the amount of hazardous airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been found to shoot up to 70% higher the peak records ever recorded in China's capital, which was once viewed as the planet's dirtiest city.

Various Contamination Contributors

The situation in the capital is resulting from a combination of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, development work, waste incineration and haze from farm burning in neighbouring states of farming communities.

Within these states, rural residents illegally ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, generating toxic smog that becomes contained over the capital as winter air descends.

Health and Economic Impact

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

The contaminated air causes increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and breathing diseases, and can even lead to cancer.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be accounting for ten thousand early deaths per year in Delhi.