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As Tuesday dawned residents of the planet's dirtiest urban center were faced with breathing severely hazardous air that registered in the "alarming" range.

Extremely High Air Quality Levels

Several parts of the city recorded an AQI over 500, which equals ten times the recommended threshold recommended by the WHO.

Certain monitoring stations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1800, amounting to 15 to 20 times above healthy standards.

Pyrotechnics Ban and New Developments

For the past four years, officials had maintained a comprehensive restriction on the purchase and ignition of firecrackers during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the hazardous pollution that covers the metropolis as colder weather begins.

However earlier this year, the current local leadership approached the highest court to propose a modification of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "green crackers" – previously doubted by environmentalists as being only about 30% lower impact – as a middle ground between "tradition and environment".

Court Decision and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental activists, the court agreed to the proposal, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during limited hours throughout the celebrations.

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

Many monitoring devices throughout Delhi registered air quality reaching highest levels around late evening to the most severe measurements recorded during the festival in at least three years.

Cross-Border Implications

The proliferation of fireworks during the festival also triggered a controversy with neighbouring Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistan's the Punjab region partly blaming deteriorating pollution levels in their urban centers on pollutants traveling from neighboring India following the events.

Persistent Pollution Crisis

Alarmingly severe concentrations of atmospheric toxins in the city have remained as a significant problem for more than 15 years, with the condition showing no improvement.

Around Diwali, the concentration of hazardous particles in the atmosphere has been documented to shoot up to 70% higher the worst levels ever documented in China's capital, which was formerly considered as the world's most polluted city.

Various Pollution Contributors

The situation in the capital is caused by a combination of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, airborne particles, building projects, rubbish burning and pollutants from crop residue ignition in neighbouring areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

Within these states, rural residents illegally burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, creating toxic haze that becomes contained over the capital as winter air sets in.

Medical and Economic Consequences

The economic and health toll on the approximately 33 million people calling home the metropolitan zone is substantial, according to numerous studies.

The contaminated air causes elevated rates of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing conditions, and can even lead to malignancies.

The pollution is calculated to be responsible for 10,000 early deaths each year in the city.