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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center encountered inhaling dangerously toxic air that was classified as the "severe" level.

Extremely High Pollution Measurements

Various sections of Delhi showed an air quality index exceeding 500, which equals ten times the healthy threshold established by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of eighteen hundred, representing 15-20x above healthy levels.

Firecracker Ban and New Developments

Since 2020, the government had enforced a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the hazardous smog that engulfs the city as the cold season approaches.

Yet in recent months, the newly elected regional administration petitioned the supreme court to propose a modification of the prohibition.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – which have been criticized by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "tradition and environment".

Judicial Ruling and Implementation

Much to the frustration of environmental and health campaigners, the court complied with the proposal, mandating that green firecrackers could be set off during specific hours throughout the Diwali.

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

Many recording stations throughout the city recorded contamination reaching highest levels around midnight to some of the worst measurements observed during Diwali in at least three years.

International Effects

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also initiated a blame game with bordering the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistan's Punjab partly blaming worsening air quality in Lahore on hazardous particles traveling from India following the events.

Long-Standing Pollution Crisis

Alarmingly severe levels of atmospheric toxins in Delhi have continued as a serious challenge for over a decade and a half, with the problem showing no improvement.

Around Diwali, the levels of toxic particles in the air has been documented to spike to significantly exceeding the peak readings ever documented in Beijing, which was formerly viewed as the world's most polluted city.

Diverse Pollution Sources

The problem in Delhi is attributed to a convergence of various sources including automobile exhaust, dust, building projects, garbage fires and pollutants from agricultural fires in nearby regions of neighboring agricultural zones.

Within these states, agricultural workers routinely set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, producing hazardous pollution that remains stagnant over the city as colder air sets in.

Public Health and Economic Toll

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

This pollution leads to elevated rates of nervous system, heart and circulatory and respiratory conditions, and can even lead to cancer.

Environmental contamination is projected to be responsible for ten thousand premature mortalities each year in the city.