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On Tuesday morning citizens of the world's most polluted city were faced with exposed to extremely polluted air that fell into the "severe" category.

Alarming Pollution Readings

Several parts of the city recorded an AQI above 500, which translates to ten times the healthy level established by the World Health Organization.

Certain monitoring stations, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of eighteen hundred, representing 15 to 20 times higher than acceptable levels.

Fireworks Restrictions and Recent Changes

Since 2020, authorities had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the deadly smog that engulfs the metropolis as the cold season begins.

However in recent months, the current city government petitioned the supreme court to seek a modification of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously questioned by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a middle ground between "cultural practices and public health".

Judicial Verdict and Enforcement

Despite concerns of public health and environmental advocates, the court complied with the request, specifying that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during designated time windows throughout the festival.

Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable violation of the designated hours across the capital, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the supposedly greener variety.

Many recording stations throughout the city showed air quality peaking around midnight to some of the worst levels recorded during Diwali in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Implications

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also triggered a blame game with neighbouring Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani the Punjab region partly blaming declining air quality in the city of Lahore on hazardous particles traveling from India following the festivities.

Chronic Pollution Crisis

Alarmingly severe concentrations of pollution in the capital have continued as a major challenge for fifteen-plus years, with the condition showing no improvement.

Near the festival period, the concentration of dangerous airborne contaminants in the environment has been documented to spike to seventy percent above the worst levels ever recorded in China's capital, which was once viewed as the globally most contaminated urban center.

Multiple Contamination Factors

The problem in the capital is resulting from a mix of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, building projects, rubbish burning and pollutants from crop residue ignition in neighbouring areas of farming communities.

Within these states, farmers regularly burn crop residue to prepare for next season, generating dangerous pollution that remains stagnant over the capital as winter air sets in.

Medical and Financial Impact

Both financial and medical toll on the approximately 33 million residents calling home the metropolitan zone is substantial, according to multiple research.

These hazardous conditions results in high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and lung disorders, and can potentially cause oncological diseases.

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