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Tuesday brought residents of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves breathing severely hazardous air that was classified as the "severe" range.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Measurements

Various sections of Delhi registered an pollution measurement over 500, which represents ten times the safe threshold established by the global health authority.

In some locations, concentrations of dangerous airborne particles hit highs of 1800, amounting to 15-20x exceeding safe levels.

Fireworks Ban and New Changes

For the past four years, the government had enforced a complete ban on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during celebrations due to their major role to the deadly haze that engulfs the metropolis as colder weather sets in.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the current city administration approached the highest court to seek a modification of the ban.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously doubted by environmental experts as being only approximately one-third reduced emissions – as a compromise between "cultural practices and public health".

Judicial Verdict and Reality

Much to the frustration of medical and ecological activists, judicial authorities complied with the proposal, stipulating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be set off during designated time windows throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was widespread flouting of the regulated periods across the capital, with little monitoring regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the supposedly greener version.

Several air quality sensors throughout the city recorded air quality reaching highest levels around midnight to the most severe levels seen during Diwali in at least three years.

Regional Consequences

The proliferation of firecrackers during the festival also initiated a dispute with bordering Pakistan, with officials in Pakistan's Punjab partly blaming worsening atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on pollutants coming from neighboring India following the celebrations.

Persistent Environmental Problem

Alarmingly severe readings of pollution in Delhi have persisted as a major problem for more than 15 years, with the condition gradually deteriorating.

Around the festival period, the concentration of toxic particulate matter in the environment has been documented to increase dramatically to 70% higher the most severe levels ever documented in the Chinese city, which was previously considered as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Multiple Pollution Sources

The problem in the city is caused by a convergence of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, construction activities, garbage fires and pollutants from agricultural fires in neighbouring regions of neighboring agricultural zones.

Throughout these areas, agricultural workers illegally burn crop residue to clear them quickly, creating dangerous haze that becomes contained over the city as cooler air arrives.

Public Health and Financial Impact

Public health and economic consequences on the approximately 33 million inhabitants calling home the capital region is enormous, according to numerous research.

The contaminated air results in elevated rates of nervous system, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can even lead to cancer.

Air quality crisis is projected to be responsible for 10,000 untimely deaths annually in Delhi.