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Tuesday brought residents of the world's most polluted city were faced with breathing extremely polluted air that registered in the "critical" category.

Alarming Pollution Measurements

Various sections of the capital showed an air quality index over 500, which translates to ten times the safe limit established by the World Health Organization.

Particular areas, readings of toxic particulate matter soared to of 1800, amounting to fifteen to twenty times above safe standards.

Firecracker Prohibition and Recent Developments

For the past four years, officials had maintained a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of pyrotechnics during Diwali due to their substantial impact to the hazardous smog that blankets the metropolis as the cold season sets in.

However in recent months, the newly elected regional administration petitioned the supreme court to propose a relaxation of the prohibition.

The suggestion was allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously questioned by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a middle ground between "tradition and environment".

Court Decision and Enforcement

To the disappointment of environmental and health activists, judicial authorities complied with the proposal, specifying that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during specific hours throughout the celebrations.

Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable flouting of the designated hours across the metropolis, with minimal enforcement regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Many recording stations throughout the city registered air quality peaking around the night hours to the most severe levels observed during celebrations in at least recent memory.

Regional Consequences

The proliferation of fireworks during Diwali also initiated a blame game with bordering the neighboring country, with representatives in Pakistani Punjab province partially attributing declining pollution levels in the city of Lahore on pollutants originating in India following the festivities.

Long-Standing Environmental Issue

The dangerously high concentrations of pollution in Delhi have persisted as a major challenge for over a decade and a half, with the condition continuing to worsen.

During the festival period, the levels of toxic particles in the air has been observed to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the peak levels ever documented in the Chinese city, which was formerly viewed as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Multiple Pollution Factors

The problem in Delhi is attributed to a mix of multiple factors including transportation pollution, dust, development work, garbage fires and haze from agricultural fires in neighbouring states of farming communities.

Within these states, agricultural workers routinely burn crop residue to prepare for next season, generating toxic smog that then gets trapped over the capital as cooler air arrives.

Health and Economic Consequences

The economic and health impact on the approximately 33 million residents calling home the metropolitan zone is enormous, according to various research.

These hazardous conditions causes increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and lung diseases, and can potentially cause malignancies.

Air quality crisis is calculated to be accounting for 10,000 premature fatalities annually in the capital.