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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of the world's most polluted city found themselves inhaling dangerously toxic air that was classified as the "severe" range.

Extremely High Air Quality Measurements

Various sections of the capital registered an air quality index above 500, which translates to ten times the safe level set by the World Health Organization.

Certain monitoring stations, levels of toxic particulate matter hit highs of 1,800, amounting to 15-20x higher than healthy limits.

Fireworks Prohibition and New Developments

For the past four years, officials had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the purchase and ignition of pyrotechnics during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the dangerous haze that engulfs the city as colder weather approaches.

Yet recently, the current city government approached the judicial authority to request a modification of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been doubted by environmentalists as being only approximately one-third reduced emissions – as a compromise between "heritage and ecological concerns".

Judicial Ruling and Reality

Despite concerns of public health and environmental advocates, the court complied with the appeal, specifying that green firecrackers could be ignited during designated time windows throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was considerable violation of the regulated periods across the city, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the more environmentally friendly type.

Many recording stations throughout Delhi registered contamination reaching highest levels around late evening to extremely hazardous measurements seen during the festival in at least three years.

Regional Effects

Extensive ignition of firecrackers during the festival also initiated a dispute with bordering the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistani Punjab pointing to worsening atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on contaminants originating in across the border following the celebrations.

Chronic Environmental Problem

Extremely elevated levels of air contamination in Delhi have remained as a major challenge for over a decade and a half, with the problem showing no improvement.

During the festival period, the levels of toxic particulate matter in the atmosphere has been documented to shoot up to seventy percent above the worst readings ever measured in China's capital, which was previously regarded as the planet's dirtiest metropolis.

Diverse Pollution Factors

The situation in Delhi is caused by a mix of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, building projects, garbage fires and smoke from agricultural fires in nearby regions of farming communities.

In these regions, agricultural workers routinely burn crop residue to clear them quickly, generating toxic smog that remains stagnant over the city as colder air sets in.

Health and Economic Toll

The economic and health impact on the nearly 33 million people residing in the metropolitan zone is significant, according to numerous research.

These hazardous conditions leads to elevated rates of neurological, cardiovascular and lung disorders, and can result in oncological diseases.

The pollution is projected to be responsible for ten thousand untimely deaths annually in Delhi.