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On Tuesday morning residents of the world's most polluted city encountered breathing severely hazardous air that was classified as the "alarming" range.

Extremely High Pollution Levels

Several parts of Delhi recorded an air quality index over 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the healthy threshold set by the global health authority.

Certain monitoring stations, levels of dangerous airborne particles hit highs of eighteen hundred, equating to 15 to 20 times higher than safe levels.

Fireworks Ban and New Developments

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the sale and use of fireworks during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the dangerous smog that engulfs the metropolis as colder weather approaches.

However earlier this year, the newly elected regional administration appealed to the supreme court to propose a easing of the restrictions.

Officials advocated for allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – historically criticized by environmentalists as being only approximately one-third reduced emissions – as a balance between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Legal Decision and Reality

Much to the frustration of environmental and health campaigners, judicial authorities approved the appeal, specifying that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during limited hours throughout the celebrations.

During the celebrations, there was extensive violation of the designated hours across the city, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the more environmentally friendly variety.

Several recording stations throughout the city recorded air quality reaching highest levels around the night hours to some of the worst measurements observed during celebrations in at least three years.

Cross-Border Effects

Extensive ignition of pyrotechnics during Diwali also sparked a controversy with bordering Pakistan, with officials in Pakistan's the Punjab region partially attributing declining atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on contaminants originating in neighboring India following the celebrations.

Persistent Environmental Issue

The dangerously high readings of air contamination in Delhi have continued as a serious issue for over a decade and a half, with the problem continuing to worsen.

Near the festival period, the amount of dangerous airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been observed to spike to significantly exceeding the worst levels ever measured in the Chinese city, which was once regarded as the world's most polluted urban center.

Various Contamination Sources

The problem in the city is caused by a combination of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, building projects, rubbish burning and smoke from agricultural fires in adjacent areas of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, farmers routinely set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, creating toxic smog that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as cooler air arrives.

Health and Financial Consequences

Both financial and medical impact on the nearly 33 million people living in the capital region is enormous, according to multiple investigations.

This pollution leads to elevated rates of nervous system, heart and circulatory and respiratory conditions, and can even lead to oncological diseases.

Environmental contamination is projected to be accounting for 10,000 untimely fatalities per year in the city.