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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the world's most polluted city encountered exposed to dangerously toxic air that fell into the "severe" category.

Record-Breaking Pollution Measurements

Several parts of the capital registered an AQI over 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the healthy threshold established by the global health authority.

Particular areas, levels of toxic particulate matter soared to of eighteen hundred, representing fifteen to twenty times above healthy limits.

Firecracker Prohibition and Current Changes

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the hazardous pollution that covers the metropolis as winter approaches.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the current city government appealed to the judicial authority to seek a relaxation of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – historically doubted by environmentalists as being only about 30% less polluting – as a compromise between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Judicial Verdict and Reality

To the disappointment of medical and ecological campaigners, judges complied with the proposal, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during designated periods throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was extensive violation of the time restrictions across the city, with minimal enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener variety.

Several monitoring devices throughout Delhi showed contamination peaking around the night hours to the most severe measurements observed during celebrations in at least the past three years.

International Consequences

The widespread use of fireworks during Diwali also initiated a blame game with neighbouring the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistan's the Punjab region partially attributing worsening atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on contaminants originating in India following the festivities.

Long-Standing Pollution Issue

Alarmingly severe levels of atmospheric toxins in the capital have persisted as a significant issue for over a decade and a half, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

During the festival period, the amount of toxic airborne contaminants in the environment has been documented to shoot up to seventy percent above the most severe records ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was previously considered as the planet's dirtiest city.

Diverse Pollution Sources

The problem in Delhi is attributed to a mix of multiple factors including transportation pollution, dust, development work, waste incineration and smoke from agricultural fires in adjacent regions of farming communities.

In these regions, farmers illegally ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, generating hazardous pollution that becomes contained over the city as colder air descends.

Health and Economic Impact

Public health and economic toll on the approximately 33 million people calling home the capital region is enormous, according to various research.

The contaminated air causes increased incidence of neurological, heart and circulatory and lung conditions, and can even lead to oncological diseases.

Environmental contamination is projected to be responsible for 10,000 premature deaths each year in the city.