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Tuesday brought residents of the world's most polluted city were faced with exposed to severely hazardous air that fell into the "severe" level.

Alarming Pollution Measurements

Several parts of the capital registered an air quality index above 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the safe level recommended by the WHO.

Particular areas, readings of toxic particulate matter soared to of 1800, representing 15 to 20 times exceeding healthy standards.

Pyrotechnics Ban and Recent Developments

For the past four years, officials had enforced a total prohibition on the sale and use of firecrackers during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the hazardous pollution that covers the city as the cold season approaches.

Yet in recent months, the current local government petitioned the highest court to request a easing of the prohibition.

The suggestion was allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically criticized by conservation groups as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a balance between "cultural practices and environment".

Judicial Verdict and Implementation

Much to the frustration of environmental and health advocates, judicial authorities agreed to the proposal, specifying that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during limited time windows throughout the festival.

Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable disregard of the time restrictions across the capital, with little enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the more environmentally friendly version.

Many recording stations throughout Delhi registered air quality peaking around the night hours to some of the worst measurements seen during the festival in at least recent memory.

Regional Consequences

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also sparked a blame game with neighbouring the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistan's the Punjab region partly blaming deteriorating air quality in Lahore on hazardous particles coming from India following the celebrations.

Long-Standing Environmental Crisis

Extremely elevated readings of air contamination in Delhi have persisted as a major problem for over a decade and a half, with the problem showing no improvement.

Near the festival period, the concentration of toxic particulate matter in the atmosphere has been documented to spike to significantly exceeding the worst readings ever documented in the Chinese city, which was formerly considered as the planet's dirtiest city.

Multiple Pollution Sources

The situation in Delhi is resulting from a mix of different contributors including transportation pollution, airborne particles, building projects, garbage fires and haze from crop residue ignition in nearby states of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, farmers regularly burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, creating dangerous pollution that becomes contained over the city as winter air sets in.

Health and Financial Impact

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

The contaminated air causes elevated rates of nervous system, heart and circulatory and respiratory conditions, and can even lead to cancer.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be accounting for 10,000 untimely deaths each year in Delhi.