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On Tuesday morning citizens of the planet's dirtiest urban center encountered inhaling extremely polluted air that was classified as the "severe" level.

Alarming Pollution Levels

Various sections of Delhi recorded an air quality index above 500, which represents ten times the safe threshold established by the global health authority.

Certain monitoring stations, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of 1,800, amounting to fifteen to twenty times higher than healthy levels.

Pyrotechnics Restrictions and Current Developments

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a complete ban on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during Diwali due to their substantial impact to the dangerous pollution that covers the city as the cold season approaches.

Nevertheless in recent months, the current city administration petitioned the supreme court to seek a modification of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously criticized by environmentalists as being only approximately one-third reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "heritage and public health".

Court Verdict and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of environmental and health advocates, the court approved the request, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during specific periods throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was extensive disregard of the time restrictions across the capital, with little regulation regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the more environmentally friendly version.

Several air quality sensors throughout the city registered pollution spiking around midnight to some of the worst readings observed during Diwali in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Effects

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during the festival also sparked a blame game with neighbouring Pakistan, with officials in Pakistani the Punjab region partly blaming worsening atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on contaminants originating in India following the celebrations.

Long-Standing Environmental Issue

Extremely elevated levels of air contamination in the capital have continued as a serious problem for over a decade and a half, with the problem showing no improvement.

Around Diwali, the concentration of toxic particles in the atmosphere has been documented to spike to seventy percent above the most severe readings ever measured in the Chinese city, which was formerly considered as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Multiple Pollution Factors

The situation in Delhi is caused by a mix of various sources including transportation pollution, construction debris, development work, waste incineration and haze from agricultural fires in neighbouring states of neighboring agricultural zones.

Within these states, agricultural workers regularly ignite agricultural waste to prepare for next season, creating hazardous pollution that becomes contained over the city as colder air sets in.

Public Health and Financial Toll

Both financial and medical toll on the nearly 33 million inhabitants living in the Delhi area is substantial, according to various research.

This pollution results in elevated rates of nervous system, heart and circulatory and respiratory disorders, and can potentially cause cancer.

Environmental contamination is estimated to be accounting for ten thousand untimely deaths per year in the city.