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On Tuesday morning residents of the world's most polluted city encountered exposed to severely hazardous air that fell into the "critical" range.

Alarming Pollution Levels

Several parts of the city registered an pollution measurement over 500, which represents 10x the healthy level established by the World Health Organization.

Certain monitoring stations, levels of dangerous airborne particles hit highs of 1,800, equating to 15 to 20 times exceeding healthy limits.

Firecracker Restrictions and New Developments

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the hazardous haze that covers the metropolis as colder weather begins.

However earlier this year, the recently formed local leadership appealed to the highest court to propose a modification of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously questioned by environmental experts as being only approximately one-third reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Court Verdict and Reality

Much to the frustration of environmental and health activists, judges agreed to the request, stipulating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be ignited during designated time windows throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was considerable flouting of the time restrictions across the capital, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the eco-friendly type.

Several recording stations throughout the capital showed air quality spiking around midnight to extremely hazardous levels observed during Diwali in at least the past three years.

International Implications

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during Diwali also triggered a controversy with neighbouring Pakistan, with officials in Pakistani the Punjab region partially attributing worsening air quality in their urban centers on contaminants originating in India following the celebrations.

Chronic Environmental Issue

Alarmingly severe readings of pollution in Delhi have persisted as a significant issue for fifteen-plus years, with the condition gradually deteriorating.

During celebratory seasons, the amount of hazardous particulate matter in the atmosphere has been found to spike to 70% higher the peak readings ever measured in Beijing, which was once considered as the planet's dirtiest urban center.

Diverse Contamination Factors

The problem in the city is attributed to a convergence of multiple factors including automobile exhaust, airborne particles, construction activities, rubbish burning and haze from agricultural fires in adjacent states of farming communities.

In these regions, agricultural workers routinely set their fields on fire to prepare for next season, producing dangerous smog that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as cooler air arrives.

Health and Economic Toll

Public health and economic impact on the nearly 33 million inhabitants calling home the capital region is significant, according to numerous research.

This pollution leads to high levels of nervous system, heart and circulatory and breathing disorders, and can potentially cause oncological diseases.

Air quality crisis is projected to be causing 10,000 early fatalities per year in the capital.