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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with exposed to extremely polluted air that was classified as the "critical" level.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Measurements

Various sections of the capital showed an AQI above 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the safe limit established by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, concentrations of toxic particulate matter hit highs of 1,800, equating to 15-20x above safe levels.

Fireworks Prohibition and New Policy Shifts

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the sale and use of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the dangerous pollution that blankets the city as winter approaches.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the current regional leadership appealed to the highest court to propose a relaxation of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – previously doubted by environmentalists as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a balance between "tradition and environment".

Judicial Verdict and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of environmental and health campaigners, judges complied with the appeal, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during limited periods throughout the Diwali.

During the celebrations, there was considerable violation of the regulated periods across the city, with insufficient monitoring regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the eco-friendly type.

Many monitoring devices throughout the city showed air quality peaking around the night hours to the most severe readings seen during Diwali in at least recent memory.

Regional Consequences

The proliferation of fireworks during Diwali also triggered a controversy with adjacent Pakistan, with officials in Pakistani Punjab province partly blaming declining atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on pollutants traveling from India following the celebrations.

Chronic Environmental Problem

Extremely elevated levels of atmospheric toxins in Delhi have continued as a significant challenge for more than 15 years, with the situation gradually deteriorating.

Near celebratory seasons, the concentration of toxic particles in the atmosphere has been found to spike to significantly exceeding the worst records ever measured in the Chinese city, which was previously regarded as the globally most contaminated city.

Multiple Pollution Factors

This crisis in Delhi is caused by a convergence of multiple factors including automobile exhaust, construction debris, development work, garbage fires and pollutants from farm burning in nearby states of neighboring agricultural zones.

In these regions, farmers routinely ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, producing hazardous haze that then gets trapped over the capital as colder air descends.

Medical and Economic Consequences

The economic and health consequences on the roughly thirty-three million inhabitants residing in the metropolitan zone is substantial, according to various studies.

This pollution causes increased incidence of neurological, heart and circulatory and breathing diseases, and can even lead to oncological diseases.

The pollution is calculated to be causing ten thousand premature fatalities each year in Delhi.