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On Tuesday morning citizens of the world's most polluted city found themselves exposed to severely hazardous air that was classified as the "critical" range.

Extremely High Air Quality Levels

Several parts of the city recorded an AQI exceeding 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the safe threshold recommended by the World Health Organization.

Particular areas, readings of toxic particulate matter reached peaks of eighteen hundred, equating to 15 to 20 times above healthy levels.

Firecracker Ban and Current Changes

For the past four years, the government had maintained a total prohibition on the sale and use of pyrotechnics during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the hazardous haze that blankets the metropolis as winter approaches.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the newly elected city government appealed to the judicial authority to seek a easing of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been doubted by conservation groups as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a balance between "heritage and ecological concerns".

Court Ruling and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental campaigners, judicial authorities complied with the proposal, specifying that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during specific periods throughout the festival.

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

Numerous air quality sensors throughout the city registered contamination spiking around the night hours to the most severe measurements recorded during celebrations in at least the past three years.

Regional Effects

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during the festival also initiated a blame game with bordering Pakistan, with officials in Pakistan's Punjab province partially attributing worsening pollution levels in Lahore on hazardous particles originating in India following the celebrations.

Chronic Environmental Problem

The dangerously high levels of atmospheric toxins in the city have continued as a major challenge for more than 15 years, with the condition continuing to worsen.

Around celebratory seasons, the concentration of hazardous airborne contaminants in the air has been documented to increase dramatically to 70% higher the worst records ever recorded in Beijing, which was once regarded as the planet's dirtiest metropolis.

Various Pollution Factors

The situation in Delhi is resulting from a combination of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, airborne particles, construction activities, garbage fires and smoke from farm burning in neighbouring regions of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, farmers regularly ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, generating dangerous smog that remains stagnant over the capital as colder air arrives.

Public Health and Economic Consequences

The economic and health impact on the roughly thirty-three million people living in the Delhi area is substantial, according to multiple studies.

The contaminated air causes increased incidence of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing conditions, and can even lead to oncological diseases.

Environmental contamination is estimated to be causing approximately 10k premature deaths per year in Delhi.