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As Tuesday dawned residents of the planet's dirtiest urban center were faced with inhaling severely hazardous air that fell into the "alarming" range.

Alarming Air Quality Levels

Several parts of the capital recorded an air quality index exceeding 500, which equals ten times the safe level established by the WHO.

In some locations, levels of dangerous airborne particles soared to of 1800, representing 15 to 20 times higher than healthy standards.

Firecracker Restrictions and Recent Changes

Since 2020, the government had implemented a complete ban on the purchase and ignition of firecrackers during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the deadly haze that blankets the capital as winter sets in.

Nevertheless in recent months, the recently formed regional administration approached the supreme court to propose a modification of the prohibition.

The suggestion was allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been questioned by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a compromise between "heritage and ecological concerns".

Legal Verdict and Implementation

To the disappointment of environmental and health activists, judges approved the proposal, specifying that environmentally conscious fireworks could be set off during limited hours throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was widespread violation of the designated hours across the capital, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the eco-friendly version.

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

International Implications

The widespread use of fireworks during the festival also sparked a dispute with adjacent the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistan's Punjab province partly blaming deteriorating pollution levels in Lahore on pollutants originating in across the border following the celebrations.

Long-Standing Pollution Problem

The dangerously high readings of atmospheric toxins in Delhi have continued as a major challenge for fifteen-plus years, with the situation showing no improvement.

Around the festival period, the concentration of toxic particles in the atmosphere has been observed to shoot up to 70% higher the worst levels ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was formerly regarded as the world's most polluted city.

Diverse Contamination Factors

The situation in the capital is attributed to a convergence of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, development work, garbage fires and pollutants from agricultural fires in nearby states of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, farmers routinely burn crop residue to clear them quickly, generating hazardous haze that then gets trapped over the city as colder air descends.

Medical and Economic Consequences

The economic and health consequences on the approximately 33 million inhabitants living in the metropolitan zone is significant, according to various research.

This pollution results in elevated rates of nervous system, heart and circulatory and breathing disorders, and can result in oncological diseases.

The pollution is projected to be accounting for approximately 10k premature mortalities per year in the capital.