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As Tuesday dawned citizens of the world's most polluted city encountered inhaling dangerously toxic air that registered in the "critical" level.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Levels

Multiple areas of Delhi registered an air quality index above 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the safe level established by the WHO.

In some locations, readings of toxic particulate matter soared to of eighteen hundred, equating to 15-20x above safe limits.

Fireworks Restrictions and Current Developments

For the past four years, the government had implemented a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of firecrackers during Diwali due to their substantial impact to the dangerous haze that engulfs the metropolis as colder weather sets in.

However earlier this year, the current regional government appealed to the supreme court to propose a relaxation of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – historically doubted by environmentalists as being only about 30% less polluting – as a compromise between "cultural practices and public health".

Court Verdict and Enforcement

To the disappointment of public health and environmental advocates, judges agreed to the proposal, specifying that environmentally conscious fireworks could be ignited during limited time windows throughout the celebrations.

During the celebrations, there was widespread flouting of the time restrictions across the metropolis, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Numerous monitoring devices throughout Delhi registered pollution peaking around midnight to some of the worst levels observed during celebrations in at least three years.

Regional Implications

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during Diwali also triggered a dispute with bordering the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistan's the Punjab region pointing to deteriorating pollution levels in the city of Lahore on hazardous particles coming from neighboring India following the celebrations.

Long-Standing Environmental Issue

The dangerously high levels of pollution in Delhi have remained as a serious challenge for over a decade and a half, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

Around Diwali, the levels of toxic particles in the air has been documented to increase dramatically to seventy percent above the most severe readings ever measured in China's capital, which was previously considered as the globally most contaminated city.

Multiple Contamination Sources

This crisis in the city is caused by a combination of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, airborne particles, construction activities, waste incineration and smoke from crop residue ignition in nearby states of neighboring agricultural zones.

Throughout these areas, rural residents regularly set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, producing dangerous pollution that remains stagnant over the metropolitan area as colder air descends.

Medical and Financial Impact

Public health and economic consequences on the roughly thirty-three million inhabitants residing in the Delhi area is significant, according to numerous studies.

These hazardous conditions results in increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, and can result in cancer.

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