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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with breathing dangerously toxic air that was classified as the "severe" category.

Alarming Pollution Readings

Multiple areas of the capital recorded an AQI above 500, which translates to 10x the healthy threshold recommended by the WHO.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of 1800, equating to 15 to 20 times higher than safe levels.

Pyrotechnics Ban and New Policy Shifts

Beginning in 2020, the government had implemented a complete ban on the purchase and ignition of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the deadly pollution that covers the capital as the cold season sets in.

However in recent months, the newly elected city government petitioned the judicial authority to seek a modification of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously doubted by environmental experts as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a compromise between "tradition and public health".

Judicial Ruling and Reality

Much to the frustration of medical and ecological advocates, the court complied with the proposal, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be used during specific hours throughout the celebrations.

Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable flouting of the time restrictions across the capital, with minimal monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Many recording stations throughout the capital registered contamination peaking around late evening to the most severe measurements recorded during the festival in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Implications

The widespread use of fireworks during the festival also sparked a blame game with adjacent the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistan's the Punjab region pointing to declining air quality in the city of Lahore on contaminants traveling from India following the celebrations.

Persistent Pollution Crisis

Alarmingly severe levels of atmospheric toxins in the city have persisted as a major challenge for over a decade and a half, with the situation showing no improvement.

During celebratory seasons, the amount of dangerous particles in the atmosphere has been documented to spike to 70% higher the worst readings ever documented in Beijing, which was formerly regarded as the world's most polluted city.

Various Pollution Contributors

The problem in the capital is resulting from a combination of different contributors including transportation pollution, construction debris, construction activities, garbage fires and smoke from agricultural fires in neighbouring regions of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, rural residents regularly set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, generating dangerous pollution that remains stagnant over the city as winter air descends.

Public Health and Financial Impact

Both financial and medical consequences on the nearly 33 million inhabitants living in the metropolitan zone is significant, according to multiple studies.

These hazardous conditions results in increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and lung diseases, and can potentially cause cancer.

Air quality crisis is projected to be responsible for 10,000 early fatalities annually in the capital.