As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center encountered breathing severely hazardous air that fell into the "severe" range.
Several parts of the capital recorded an AQI exceeding 500, which translates to ten times the recommended level set by the WHO.
Particular areas, concentrations of toxic particulate matter reached peaks of eighteen hundred, equating to 15 to 20 times higher than acceptable limits.
Beginning in 2020, officials had enforced a total prohibition on the sale and use of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the hazardous haze that engulfs the capital as winter approaches.
Nevertheless earlier this year, the recently formed local administration appealed to the judicial authority to propose a relaxation of the ban.
They proposed allowing "green crackers" – historically doubted by conservation groups as being only about 30% less polluting – as a middle ground between "cultural practices and ecological concerns".
Much to the frustration of environmental and health activists, judges approved the request, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during limited periods throughout the festival.
Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable violation of the regulated periods across the metropolis, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly version.
Many air quality sensors throughout the city showed contamination peaking around late evening to some of the worst levels observed during the festival in at least the past three years.
The widespread use of firecrackers during the celebrations also sparked a blame game with neighbouring the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistani the Punjab region pointing to declining atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on pollutants traveling from India following the festivities.
Alarmingly severe readings of pollution in the city have continued as a major issue for over a decade and a half, with the condition continuing to worsen.
During Diwali, the concentration of dangerous particulate matter in the air has been found to shoot up to 70% higher the most severe readings ever documented in the Chinese city, which was formerly considered as the planet's dirtiest metropolis.
The situation in Delhi is resulting from a combination of multiple factors including automobile exhaust, airborne particles, building projects, rubbish burning and smoke from agricultural fires in adjacent states of neighboring agricultural zones.
In these regions, agricultural workers illegally ignite agricultural waste to prepare for next season, producing hazardous haze that remains stagnant over the capital as cooler air sets in.
Both financial and medical impact on the nearly 33 million inhabitants residing in the capital region is significant, according to numerous studies.
These hazardous conditions leads to elevated rates of neurological, heart and circulatory and respiratory diseases, and can even lead to oncological diseases.
The pollution is projected to be responsible for approximately 10k premature deaths each year in the capital.
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