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Tuesday brought residents of the world's most polluted city were faced with inhaling extremely polluted air that registered in the "severe" level.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Measurements

Several parts of the capital registered an pollution measurement above 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the recommended threshold recommended by the global health authority.

Particular areas, readings of toxic particulate matter reached peaks of 1800, equating to 15-20x above healthy limits.

Firecracker Ban and New Policy Shifts

For the past four years, the government had maintained a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the hazardous haze that covers the city as winter sets in.

Yet recently, the recently formed local government appealed to the supreme court to seek a easing of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously doubted by environmentalists as being only about 30% lower impact – as a compromise between "heritage and public health".

Court Verdict and Enforcement

Despite concerns of medical and ecological campaigners, judges agreed to the proposal, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be used during specific periods throughout the festival.

Throughout the festival evening, there was considerable flouting of the regulated periods across the city, with little regulation regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the more environmentally friendly version.

Many air quality sensors throughout the capital showed air quality peaking around the night hours to the most severe levels observed during the festival in at least three years.

International Consequences

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also sparked a controversy with neighbouring Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani the Punjab region pointing to worsening air quality in the city of Lahore on contaminants originating in neighboring India following the events.

Long-Standing Pollution Crisis

The dangerously high concentrations of atmospheric toxins in the capital have remained as a serious issue for fifteen-plus years, with the condition continuing to worsen.

Near Diwali, the levels of dangerous airborne contaminants in the environment has been documented to increase dramatically to seventy percent above the most severe levels ever measured in the Chinese city, which was once viewed as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Multiple Contamination Sources

The problem in the capital is caused by a convergence of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, construction activities, waste incineration and haze from agricultural fires in neighbouring areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

In these regions, agricultural workers illegally ignite agricultural waste to prepare for next season, generating dangerous smog that remains stagnant over the city as colder air sets in.

Health and Financial Toll

The economic and health impact on the nearly 33 million people residing in the capital region is enormous, according to multiple research.

The contaminated air causes increased incidence of neurological, heart and circulatory and lung diseases, and can result in oncological diseases.

The pollution is calculated to be responsible for 10,000 early fatalities per year in Delhi.