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Tuesday brought residents of the planet's dirtiest urban center encountered exposed to severely hazardous air that was classified as the "critical" category.

Alarming Pollution Measurements

Several parts of the city recorded an air quality index exceeding 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the safe threshold established by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, readings of dangerous airborne particles soared to of 1800, representing fifteen to twenty times higher than acceptable limits.

Fireworks Restrictions and Current Policy Shifts

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the hazardous pollution that engulfs the metropolis as colder weather begins.

However earlier this year, the recently formed regional administration petitioned the supreme court to request a relaxation of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously questioned by environmental experts as being only about 30% lower impact – as a balance between "cultural practices and public health".

Legal Decision and Enforcement

To the disappointment of environmental and health campaigners, the court complied with the request, mandating that green firecrackers could be used during limited periods throughout the celebrations.

During the celebrations, there was widespread flouting of the regulated periods across the metropolis, with little regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Several recording stations throughout the city recorded contamination peaking around midnight to some of the worst levels recorded during celebrations in at least recent memory.

Regional Consequences

Extensive ignition of fireworks during Diwali also sparked a blame game with bordering the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistani Punjab partly blaming declining pollution levels in the city of Lahore on pollutants traveling from across the border following the celebrations.

Chronic Environmental Issue

The dangerously high levels of pollution in Delhi have remained as a serious challenge for fifteen-plus years, with the problem continuing to worsen.

During the festival period, the levels of toxic airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been found to increase dramatically to 70% higher the worst records ever measured in the Chinese city, which was once considered as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Diverse Contamination Sources

The situation in Delhi is attributed to a combination of various sources including automobile exhaust, construction debris, building projects, waste incineration and haze from crop residue ignition in neighbouring areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

Throughout these areas, agricultural workers routinely burn crop residue to clear them quickly, producing hazardous haze that remains stagnant over the city as cooler air sets in.

Health and Financial Consequences

Public health and economic impact on the nearly 33 million residents calling home the Delhi area is substantial, according to various studies.

This pollution results in elevated rates of neurological, heart and circulatory and respiratory disorders, and can even lead to oncological diseases.

The pollution is estimated to be causing ten thousand premature mortalities per year in the capital.