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Tuesday brought inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center encountered breathing severely hazardous air that registered in the "critical" range.

Extremely High Pollution Measurements

Multiple areas of the city recorded an air quality index exceeding 500, which represents 10x the safe limit set by the WHO.

Certain monitoring stations, concentrations of dangerous airborne particles reached peaks of 1800, representing fifteen to twenty times exceeding safe levels.

Fireworks Restrictions and New Changes

For the past four years, officials had enforced a complete ban on the purchase and ignition of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the dangerous smog that blankets the city as colder weather sets in.

Nevertheless in recent months, the recently formed city leadership approached the judicial authority to seek a easing of the ban.

The suggestion was allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been criticized by environmental experts as being only about 30% reduced emissions – as a balance between "cultural practices and public health".

Court Ruling and Enforcement

Despite concerns of environmental and health campaigners, judicial authorities agreed to the appeal, mandating that green firecrackers could be ignited during limited periods throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was considerable flouting of the regulated periods across the metropolis, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the supposedly greener version.

Numerous recording stations throughout the capital showed pollution reaching highest levels around midnight to the most severe readings observed during celebrations in at least three years.

Regional Effects

The widespread use of firecrackers during the celebrations also triggered a blame game with neighbouring the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistan's the Punjab region partially attributing worsening air quality in Lahore on hazardous particles traveling from neighboring India following the events.

Chronic Pollution Issue

The dangerously high levels of air contamination in Delhi have persisted as a significant issue for over a decade and a half, with the condition showing no improvement.

Around the festival period, the concentration of hazardous particulate matter in the environment has been found to spike to significantly exceeding the most severe levels ever measured in the Chinese city, which was formerly viewed as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Diverse Contamination Factors

The problem in Delhi is resulting from a convergence of multiple factors including transportation pollution, airborne particles, development work, garbage fires and haze from crop residue ignition in nearby regions of neighboring agricultural zones.

Within these states, farmers illegally set their fields on fire to prepare for next season, producing toxic haze that becomes contained over the capital as cooler air sets in.

Public Health and Economic Impact

The economic and health consequences on the nearly 33 million residents living in the metropolitan zone is substantial, according to various research.

This pollution leads to high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and lung disorders, and can potentially cause oncological diseases.

The pollution is estimated to be accounting for 10,000 premature fatalities per year in Delhi.