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Tuesday brought residents of the planet's dirtiest urban center encountered exposed to severely hazardous air that fell into the "critical" range.

Extremely High Air Quality Levels

Multiple areas of the capital recorded an air quality index exceeding 500, which equals 10x the healthy limit established by the global health authority.

Particular areas, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1,800, equating to fifteen to twenty times above safe levels.

Pyrotechnics Restrictions and Recent Policy Shifts

For the past four years, officials had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the sale and use of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the deadly haze that engulfs the city as colder weather begins.

However earlier this year, the recently formed city government petitioned the highest court to request a modification of the ban.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been doubted by conservation groups as being only about 30% less polluting – as a middle ground between "cultural practices and public health".

Judicial Decision and Reality

Much to the frustration of environmental and health activists, judicial authorities approved the proposal, specifying that green firecrackers could be ignited during specific periods throughout the celebrations.

On Monday night, there was considerable violation of the designated hours across the metropolis, with minimal monitoring regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Several air quality sensors throughout Delhi registered air quality spiking around late evening to the most severe measurements seen during the festival in at least three years.

Cross-Border Consequences

The widespread use of fireworks during the festival also triggered a blame game with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab pointing to declining air quality in Lahore on contaminants traveling from India following the celebrations.

Persistent Pollution Problem

Extremely elevated readings of atmospheric toxins in the capital have remained as a significant problem for more than 15 years, with the situation continuing to worsen.

Near celebratory seasons, the levels of toxic airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been observed to shoot up to seventy percent above the peak levels ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was formerly viewed as the planet's dirtiest metropolis.

Multiple Contamination Factors

This crisis in the city is resulting from a mix of multiple factors including automobile exhaust, airborne particles, construction activities, waste incineration and haze from agricultural fires in nearby regions of Punjab and Haryana.

Within these states, rural residents regularly burn crop residue to clear them quickly, creating toxic smog that remains stagnant over the capital as cooler air descends.

Public Health and Economic Consequences

Both financial and medical impact on the nearly 33 million people living in the Delhi area is substantial, according to various studies.

The contaminated air leads to increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and lung diseases, and can potentially cause cancer.

The pollution is projected to be responsible for approximately 10k premature mortalities each year in the capital.