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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of the world's most polluted city found themselves inhaling extremely polluted air that was classified as the "critical" category.

Extremely High Pollution Measurements

Several parts of the capital showed an pollution measurement exceeding 500, which equals ten times the recommended threshold set by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1800, representing 15 to 20 times exceeding healthy standards.

Firecracker Prohibition and Current Developments

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the sale and use of firecrackers during Diwali due to their substantial impact to the hazardous smog that covers the city as colder weather begins.

However earlier this year, the newly elected city leadership approached the judicial authority to seek a easing of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously criticized by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a middle ground between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Court Decision and Enforcement

Despite concerns of public health and environmental advocates, judges approved the appeal, mandating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be used during specific periods throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was extensive violation of the regulated periods across the city, with little regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener version.

Many air quality sensors throughout the city showed air quality peaking around midnight to extremely hazardous readings seen during Diwali in at least three years.

Regional Implications

The proliferation of fireworks during the celebrations also triggered a controversy with adjacent the neighboring country, with representatives in Pakistan's the Punjab region partially attributing declining air quality in their urban centers on contaminants traveling from across the border following the events.

Chronic Pollution Crisis

The dangerously high levels of air contamination in the capital have persisted as a serious problem for over a decade and a half, with the situation continuing to worsen.

During celebratory seasons, the amount of dangerous airborne contaminants in the environment has been observed to spike to significantly exceeding the peak levels ever documented in Beijing, which was formerly viewed as the globally most contaminated urban center.

Various Pollution Contributors

The situation in the city is caused by a mix of various sources including transportation pollution, construction debris, construction activities, rubbish burning and smoke from crop residue ignition in adjacent areas of farming communities.

In these regions, rural residents illegally set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, creating dangerous smog that then gets trapped over the capital as cooler air descends.

Public Health and Economic Toll

Both financial and medical toll on the nearly 33 million residents calling home the capital region is significant, according to various investigations.

This pollution leads to high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can even lead to cancer.

The pollution is calculated to be causing ten thousand untimely mortalities annually in Delhi.