New Delhi, India's capital city with over 30 million residents, is currently experiencing a severe air quality crisis, as heavy smog has enveloped the metropolis following the Diwali celebrations. The Hindu festival of lights, celebrated on Sunday, saw numerous firecracker displays throughout the evening, exacerbating the existing pollution problem. On Monday morning, the Air Quality Index exceeded 350 in several parts of the capital, categorized as "severe" and posing significant health risks, according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended exposure thresholds. Despite India's Supreme Court imposing restrictions on Diwali pollution earlier this month, allowing only approved "green firecrackers" for limited hours, toxic air pollution levels in New Delhi surged more than 30 times the WHO's recommended daily limit days before the festival. The persistent air quality issues are particularly acute during the winter months when cooler temperatures, low wind speeds, and stagnant atmospheric conditions hinder pollutant dispersal. Vehicles account for a quarter of New Delhi's winter pollution, while biomass burning, including farm stubble fires, contributes around 20 percent, according to India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The result is a thick haze that can persist over the capital and surrounding areas for several days.