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On Tuesday morning citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered inhaling extremely polluted air that was classified as the "alarming" level.

Extremely High Pollution Measurements

Several parts of Delhi recorded an air quality index exceeding 500, which equals ten times the safe limit set by the WHO.

Certain monitoring stations, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of eighteen hundred, equating to 15 to 20 times higher than safe levels.

Firecracker Prohibition and New Developments

For the past four years, the government had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of pyrotechnics during Diwali due to their substantial impact to the deadly smog that covers the metropolis as colder weather sets in.

Yet in recent months, the current local government appealed to the highest court to propose a easing of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "green crackers" – previously criticized by conservation groups as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a balance between "heritage and environment".

Legal Ruling and Implementation

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental advocates, the court complied with the request, specifying that green firecrackers could be set off during designated periods throughout the festival.

Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable flouting of the time restrictions across the capital, with minimal monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Several monitoring devices throughout the city showed air quality peaking around late evening to extremely hazardous readings seen during Diwali in at least recent memory.

International Consequences

The widespread use of fireworks during Diwali also sparked a blame game with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani the Punjab region pointing to declining atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on pollutants traveling from neighboring India following the celebrations.

Long-Standing Pollution Issue

Alarmingly severe concentrations of pollution in Delhi have persisted as a serious challenge for over a decade and a half, with the situation continuing to worsen.

During Diwali, the amount of toxic particles in the environment has been observed to shoot up to significantly exceeding the peak levels ever documented in the Chinese city, which was previously viewed as the planet's dirtiest urban center.

Various Contamination Sources

This crisis in the capital is resulting from a convergence of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, development work, waste incineration and smoke from crop residue ignition in nearby states of neighboring agricultural zones.

Throughout these areas, rural residents routinely set their fields on fire to clear them quickly, producing hazardous haze that then gets trapped over the capital as colder air descends.

Public Health and Economic Toll

Both financial and medical consequences on the nearly 33 million residents living in the capital region is significant, according to numerous studies.

This pollution causes increased incidence of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing diseases, and can result in malignancies.

Air quality crisis is projected to be responsible for approximately 10k untimely mortalities annually in the capital.