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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the world's most polluted city were faced with exposed to severely hazardous air that was classified as the "critical" level.

Alarming Air Quality Levels

Several parts of Delhi showed an pollution measurement exceeding 500, which equals ten times the healthy threshold established by the World Health Organization.

Certain monitoring stations, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1800, representing 15 to 20 times higher than safe levels.

Firecracker Ban and Recent Policy Shifts

For the past four years, officials had enforced a complete ban on the sale and use of fireworks during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the hazardous pollution that engulfs the city as winter begins.

Nevertheless in recent months, the newly elected regional government petitioned the supreme court to request a easing of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been criticized by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a balance between "tradition and public health".

Legal Decision and Enforcement

To the disappointment of public health and environmental activists, judges complied with the proposal, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during limited periods throughout the celebrations.

During the celebrations, there was extensive flouting of the time restrictions across the capital, with insufficient monitoring regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the more environmentally friendly variety.

Several air quality sensors throughout the city recorded air quality reaching highest levels around late evening to some of the worst readings recorded during celebrations in at least three years.

Cross-Border Consequences

The widespread use of firecrackers during the celebrations also triggered a dispute with bordering the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistani Punjab province partially attributing deteriorating atmospheric conditions in Lahore on hazardous particles originating in across the border following the events.

Persistent Environmental Issue

The dangerously high readings of air contamination in the capital have remained as a major issue for more than 15 years, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

Around celebratory seasons, the concentration of toxic particulate matter in the environment has been observed to increase dramatically to 70% higher the worst levels ever documented in China's capital, which was formerly considered as the world's most polluted urban center.

Multiple Contamination Sources

This crisis in the city is resulting from a mix of various sources including transportation pollution, construction debris, development work, garbage fires and haze from crop residue ignition in nearby regions of Punjab and Haryana.

In these regions, rural residents routinely ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, creating dangerous haze that becomes contained over the capital as cooler air descends.

Medical and Financial Impact

Public health and economic consequences on the approximately 33 million residents calling home the Delhi area is substantial, according to multiple studies.

These hazardous conditions leads to increased incidence of nervous system, heart and circulatory and lung disorders, and can potentially cause oncological diseases.

Environmental contamination is estimated to be accounting for ten thousand early mortalities per year in the city.