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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of the world's most polluted city found themselves exposed to dangerously toxic air that registered in the "severe" category.

Extremely High Pollution Measurements

Several parts of Delhi recorded an AQI exceeding 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the healthy limit established by the global health authority.

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

Pyrotechnics Prohibition and Recent Policy Shifts

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

Yet earlier this year, the recently formed city administration appealed to the supreme court to propose a easing of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "green crackers" – previously doubted by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a middle ground between "tradition and environment".

Court Decision and Reality

Despite concerns of environmental and health activists, judges approved the appeal, mandating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be ignited during limited time windows throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was extensive disregard of the time restrictions across the capital, with minimal enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the more environmentally friendly version.

Numerous air quality sensors throughout the capital showed contamination peaking around midnight to the most severe readings seen during Diwali in at least recent memory.

Regional Consequences

The proliferation of fireworks during the festival also triggered a dispute with adjacent the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistani Punjab province partially attributing declining atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on contaminants traveling from across the border following the festivities.

Chronic Environmental Issue

Alarmingly severe concentrations of atmospheric toxins in the city have persisted as a significant challenge for fifteen-plus years, with the situation continuing to worsen.

Near the festival period, the amount of dangerous particulate matter in the atmosphere has been documented to shoot up to significantly exceeding the most severe records ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was previously regarded as the planet's dirtiest urban center.

Diverse Pollution Factors

This crisis in Delhi is resulting from a combination of different contributors including transportation pollution, airborne particles, building projects, waste incineration and haze from crop residue ignition in adjacent areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

Throughout these areas, agricultural workers regularly burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, creating toxic pollution that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as cooler air descends.

Medical and Financial Impact

The economic and health toll on the approximately 33 million people living in the capital region is substantial, according to numerous studies.

This pollution results in elevated rates of neurological, cardiovascular and lung conditions, and can potentially cause oncological diseases.

Environmental contamination is estimated to be accounting for 10,000 untimely fatalities each year in the city.