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As Tuesday dawned residents of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves breathing dangerously toxic air that was classified as the "alarming" category.

Extremely High Pollution Levels

Multiple areas of the capital showed an pollution measurement above 500, which equals 10x the healthy threshold established by the WHO.

Particular areas, levels of dangerous airborne particles reached peaks of 1800, representing 15 to 20 times higher than healthy limits.

Fireworks Restrictions and Recent Developments

For the past four years, the government had enforced a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the dangerous smog that covers the metropolis as colder weather approaches.

However in recent months, the current local government appealed to the judicial authority to request a relaxation of the prohibition.

The suggestion was allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously criticized by conservation groups as being only about 30% less polluting – as a balance between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Judicial Verdict and Implementation

Despite concerns of environmental and health advocates, the court approved the proposal, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during limited periods throughout the Diwali.

During the celebrations, there was considerable flouting of the designated hours across the capital, with little regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Several monitoring devices throughout the city registered air quality reaching highest levels around midnight to extremely hazardous measurements observed during celebrations in at least recent memory.

Regional Effects

Extensive ignition of firecrackers during Diwali also initiated a controversy with bordering the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistani Punjab province partially attributing deteriorating pollution levels in the city of Lahore on contaminants traveling from India following the events.

Persistent Environmental Crisis

Alarmingly severe levels of air contamination in the capital have persisted as a major challenge for over a decade and a half, with the situation gradually deteriorating.

During Diwali, the concentration of dangerous particulate matter in the environment has been documented to increase dramatically to 70% higher the peak levels ever measured in China's capital, which was formerly viewed as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Diverse Contamination Sources

The situation in Delhi is attributed to a combination of different contributors including automobile exhaust, dust, building projects, waste incineration and haze from agricultural fires in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

Within these states, agricultural workers regularly ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, producing toxic pollution that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as cooler air sets in.

Public Health and Economic Toll

Both financial and medical toll on the approximately 33 million residents living in the capital region is substantial, according to numerous investigations.

This pollution causes increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and lung disorders, and can even lead to cancer.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be responsible for 10,000 untimely mortalities per year in Delhi.