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As Tuesday dawned citizens of the world's most polluted city found themselves exposed to extremely polluted air that was classified as the "critical" category.

Extremely High Air Quality Measurements

Multiple areas of the city showed an pollution measurement above 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the healthy threshold established by the global health authority.

In some locations, levels of dangerous airborne particles hit highs of 1800, amounting to fifteen to twenty times higher than healthy standards.

Pyrotechnics Restrictions and New Policy Shifts

Beginning in 2020, authorities had implemented a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of firecrackers during celebrations due to their substantial impact to the dangerous haze that engulfs the city as winter sets in.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the recently formed local government appealed to the supreme court to request a modification of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been doubted by conservation groups as being only about 30% lower impact – as a middle ground between "heritage and ecological concerns".

Court Ruling and Implementation

To the disappointment of medical and ecological campaigners, judges approved the request, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be used during designated periods throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was widespread flouting of the regulated periods across the capital, with little enforcement regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Many air quality sensors throughout Delhi recorded contamination spiking around the night hours to some of the worst levels seen during celebrations in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Consequences

Extensive ignition of fireworks during Diwali also sparked a controversy with neighbouring the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistan's Punjab pointing to worsening air quality in Lahore on pollutants originating in across the border following the celebrations.

Persistent Environmental Issue

Alarmingly severe concentrations of air contamination in Delhi have persisted as a serious problem for more than 15 years, with the situation gradually deteriorating.

During Diwali, the amount of toxic airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been documented to spike to 70% higher the peak readings ever documented in Beijing, which was previously considered as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Multiple Contamination Sources

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

In these regions, farmers routinely burn crop residue to prepare for next season, generating toxic smog that becomes contained over the capital as colder air sets in.

Health and Economic Consequences

Both financial and medical impact on the roughly thirty-three million people residing in the Delhi area is substantial, according to numerous investigations.

These hazardous conditions causes increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and breathing conditions, and can potentially cause cancer.

The pollution is estimated to be causing approximately 10k early mortalities each year in the city.