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Tuesday brought inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center were faced with inhaling extremely polluted air that registered in the "severe" range.

Extremely High Air Quality Readings

Several parts of the capital showed an air quality index above 500, which translates to 10x the safe level set by the WHO.

In some locations, levels of toxic particulate matter reached peaks of 1800, representing 15-20x above acceptable levels.

Pyrotechnics Restrictions and Current Changes

Beginning in 2020, authorities had maintained a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of firecrackers during Diwali due to their major role to the deadly haze that covers the city as the cold season sets in.

However in recent months, the recently formed regional administration petitioned the highest court to seek a modification of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically doubted by environmentalists as being only about 30% less polluting – as a balance between "heritage and ecological concerns".

Court Decision and Enforcement

Despite concerns of medical and ecological campaigners, the court approved the proposal, specifying that green firecrackers could be used during specific periods throughout the celebrations.

Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable violation of the designated hours across the city, with minimal enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the more environmentally friendly type.

Numerous monitoring devices throughout Delhi recorded pollution spiking around the night hours to the most severe levels seen during celebrations in at least recent memory.

Regional Effects

The proliferation of firecrackers during the celebrations also initiated a dispute with adjacent the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistani the Punjab region partially attributing deteriorating pollution levels in the city of Lahore on pollutants originating in across the border following the events.

Long-Standing Pollution Issue

Alarmingly severe readings of air contamination in Delhi have remained as a significant challenge for over a decade and a half, with the situation continuing to worsen.

Around Diwali, the concentration of hazardous particulate matter in the atmosphere has been observed to spike to 70% higher the worst levels ever documented in Beijing, which was previously viewed as the planet's dirtiest metropolis.

Various Contamination Contributors

The problem in the city is attributed to a combination of different contributors including transportation pollution, airborne particles, construction activities, rubbish burning and smoke from farm burning in neighbouring regions of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, agricultural workers regularly set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, creating dangerous smog that becomes contained over the capital as colder air sets in.

Health and Financial Consequences

The economic and health impact on the approximately 33 million inhabitants residing in the metropolitan zone is substantial, according to various studies.

This pollution results in high levels of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing conditions, and can even lead to malignancies.

The pollution is estimated to be responsible for approximately 10k early mortalities per year in the city.