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As Tuesday dawned residents of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves exposed to dangerously toxic air that was classified as the "severe" range.

Extremely High Pollution Readings

Several parts of the capital recorded an pollution measurement exceeding 500, which equals ten times the recommended level established by the global health authority.

Certain monitoring stations, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of 1,800, equating to fifteen to twenty times above healthy levels.

Firecracker Prohibition and New Changes

For the past four years, the government had enforced a total prohibition on the sale and use of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the hazardous smog that engulfs the metropolis as the cold season approaches.

Nevertheless recently, the newly elected local government appealed to the judicial authority to seek a relaxation of the ban.

The suggestion was allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically criticized by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a middle ground between "heritage and public health".

Legal Ruling and Reality

To the disappointment of environmental and health campaigners, the court complied with the appeal, stipulating that green firecrackers could be set off during specific hours throughout the Diwali.

Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable disregard of the time restrictions across the metropolis, with little enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Several air quality sensors throughout Delhi showed air quality reaching highest levels around the night hours to extremely hazardous readings recorded during celebrations in at least the past three years.

Cross-Border Implications

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also triggered a controversy with adjacent the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistani the Punjab region partially attributing declining air quality in the city of Lahore on pollutants coming from across the border following the festivities.

Chronic Pollution Crisis

The dangerously high levels of air contamination in Delhi have persisted as a major challenge for fifteen-plus years, with the problem continuing to worsen.

Around Diwali, the concentration of hazardous airborne contaminants in the air has been found to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the worst records ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was formerly regarded as the world's most polluted city.

Multiple Pollution Contributors

This crisis in the city is attributed to a combination of different contributors including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, construction activities, rubbish burning and pollutants from farm burning in neighbouring states of neighboring agricultural zones.

In these regions, agricultural workers illegally ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, creating hazardous haze that remains stagnant over the capital as cooler air arrives.

Health and Financial Consequences

Both financial and medical toll on the roughly thirty-three million residents residing in the Delhi area is enormous, according to various investigations.

This pollution causes high levels of nervous system, heart and circulatory and respiratory diseases, and can result in cancer.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be responsible for 10,000 untimely fatalities each year in the city.