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On Tuesday morning citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with inhaling severely hazardous air that fell into the "severe" range.

Alarming Pollution Levels

Several parts of the city recorded an air quality index exceeding 500, which translates to 10x the recommended level recommended by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, readings of dangerous airborne particles reached peaks of 1800, amounting to fifteen to twenty times exceeding safe limits.

Fireworks Restrictions and New Developments

For the past four years, officials had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the purchase and ignition of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the deadly pollution that engulfs the city as the cold season sets in.

However recently, the recently formed regional leadership petitioned the highest court to propose a easing of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically questioned by environmental experts as being only approximately one-third lower impact – as a middle ground between "tradition and public health".

Court Decision and Enforcement

To the disappointment of environmental and health advocates, judges approved the appeal, specifying that green firecrackers could be used during specific time windows throughout the celebrations.

During the celebrations, there was extensive violation of the time restrictions across the city, with minimal monitoring regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Several air quality sensors throughout the city showed air quality spiking around late evening to extremely hazardous levels recorded during celebrations in at least the past three years.

Cross-Border Consequences

The proliferation of firecrackers during Diwali also triggered a controversy with neighbouring Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab province pointing to declining air quality in Lahore on hazardous particles traveling from India following the events.

Long-Standing Pollution Issue

Extremely elevated concentrations of air contamination in Delhi have continued as a significant issue for more than 15 years, with the situation showing no improvement.

During the festival period, the concentration of hazardous airborne contaminants in the air has been documented to increase dramatically to seventy percent above the most severe records ever recorded in Beijing, which was formerly considered as the world's most polluted urban center.

Various Contamination Sources

The situation in the city is resulting from a mix of multiple factors including transportation pollution, dust, building projects, rubbish burning and pollutants from agricultural fires in nearby areas of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, rural residents routinely burn crop residue to clear them quickly, creating dangerous smog that remains stagnant over the metropolitan area as colder air arrives.

Public Health and Financial Impact

Both financial and medical impact on the nearly 33 million residents residing in the capital region is substantial, according to numerous studies.

These hazardous conditions leads to high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and lung diseases, and can even lead to malignancies.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be responsible for approximately 10k untimely fatalities per year in Delhi.