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As Tuesday dawned citizens of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves breathing extremely polluted air that registered in the "severe" level.

Record-Breaking Pollution Readings

Various sections of Delhi recorded an AQI exceeding 500, which translates to 10x the healthy limit established by the World Health Organization.

Particular areas, concentrations of toxic particulate matter hit highs of eighteen hundred, representing 15 to 20 times higher than healthy standards.

Pyrotechnics Ban and New Developments

For the past four years, officials had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the sale and use of firecrackers during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the deadly smog that blankets the capital as winter approaches.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the recently formed regional administration approached the judicial authority to propose a easing of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been questioned by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a compromise between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Legal Decision and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental advocates, the court approved the appeal, mandating that green firecrackers could be ignited during specific periods throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was widespread violation of the designated hours across the capital, with minimal enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Numerous recording stations throughout Delhi recorded pollution spiking around late evening to extremely hazardous readings seen during the festival in at least three years.

Regional Implications

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during Diwali also initiated a dispute with bordering Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistan's the Punjab region partly blaming deteriorating pollution levels in the city of Lahore on hazardous particles originating in India following the celebrations.

Long-Standing Environmental Problem

The dangerously high readings of atmospheric toxins in the capital have continued as a serious challenge for more than 15 years, with the condition continuing to worsen.

Near celebratory seasons, the concentration of hazardous particulate matter in the environment has been documented to shoot up to significantly exceeding the peak levels ever documented in China's capital, which was once viewed as the world's most polluted urban center.

Multiple Pollution Sources

The situation in Delhi is caused by a mix of various sources including transportation pollution, dust, construction activities, garbage fires and smoke from farm burning in neighbouring areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

Throughout these areas, rural residents regularly ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, generating hazardous haze that remains stagnant over the city as colder air descends.

Medical and Economic Impact

Both financial and medical impact on the approximately 33 million inhabitants residing in the metropolitan zone is enormous, according to multiple studies.

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

Air quality crisis is projected to be causing approximately 10k early deaths annually in Delhi.