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As Tuesday dawned citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with inhaling severely hazardous air that was classified as the "alarming" level.

Extremely High Air Quality Levels

Multiple areas of Delhi registered an AQI above 500, which represents ten times the healthy threshold established by the global health authority.

Particular areas, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1800, equating to 15-20x higher than safe levels.

Firecracker Restrictions and Current Changes

For the past four years, the government had maintained a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of firecrackers during Diwali due to their major role to the dangerous smog that covers the metropolis as colder weather begins.

Yet in recent months, the newly elected city administration appealed to the judicial authority to propose a modification of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "green crackers" – previously questioned by environmental experts as being only about 30% less polluting – as a compromise between "cultural practices and environment".

Court Ruling and Implementation

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental activists, judicial authorities agreed to the appeal, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during specific periods throughout the Diwali.

During the celebrations, there was extensive flouting of the time restrictions across the city, with minimal regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener version.

Many monitoring devices throughout the capital recorded pollution reaching highest levels around late evening to extremely hazardous measurements recorded during celebrations in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Consequences

The widespread use of fireworks during the celebrations also triggered a dispute with adjacent the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistani Punjab province pointing to worsening air quality in their urban centers on pollutants coming from across the border following the celebrations.

Chronic Pollution Problem

Alarmingly severe levels of atmospheric toxins in Delhi have continued as a significant problem for over a decade and a half, with the condition gradually deteriorating.

During Diwali, the concentration of toxic particulate matter in the environment has been found to spike to 70% higher the peak levels ever measured in China's capital, which was once regarded as the planet's dirtiest city.

Multiple Contamination Factors

This crisis in the capital is attributed to a convergence of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, airborne particles, building projects, rubbish burning and smoke from agricultural fires in adjacent states of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, rural residents illegally set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, generating toxic smog that becomes contained over the city as cooler air sets in.

Health and Economic Toll

The economic and health toll on the nearly 33 million inhabitants residing in the Delhi area is enormous, according to multiple investigations.

The contaminated air leads to elevated rates of neurological, heart and circulatory and lung disorders, and can result in oncological diseases.

Environmental contamination is estimated to be accounting for 10,000 premature mortalities annually in the city.