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On Tuesday morning citizens of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves breathing extremely polluted air that was classified as the "severe" level.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Levels

Several parts of the capital recorded an air quality index exceeding 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the recommended level set by the World Health Organization.

Particular areas, readings of toxic particulate matter hit highs of 1800, equating to 15-20x higher than safe levels.

Firecracker Ban and Current Changes

For the past four years, officials had enforced a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during celebrations due to their significant contribution to the deadly haze that covers the metropolis as the cold season approaches.

However recently, the newly elected city leadership appealed to the supreme court to propose a easing of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "green crackers" – previously doubted by environmental experts as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a balance between "heritage and environment".

Court Ruling and Reality

Much to the frustration of medical and ecological advocates, judges approved the request, mandating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be used during designated hours throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was considerable flouting of the time restrictions across the metropolis, with little enforcement regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the supposedly greener version.

Several recording stations throughout the capital registered air quality reaching highest levels around midnight to extremely hazardous levels observed during Diwali in at least three years.

Cross-Border Implications

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also triggered a dispute with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani Punjab pointing to deteriorating atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on hazardous particles originating in neighboring India following the events.

Chronic Environmental Crisis

Alarmingly severe concentrations of pollution in the capital have remained as a significant issue for over a decade and a half, with the problem showing no improvement.

Near Diwali, the levels of dangerous particulate matter in the environment has been found to spike to 70% higher the worst levels ever documented in the Chinese city, which was once regarded as the globally most contaminated urban center.

Diverse Contamination Contributors

The problem in the city is resulting from a convergence of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, airborne particles, construction activities, rubbish burning and pollutants from agricultural fires in nearby areas of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, rural residents routinely ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, creating dangerous pollution that remains stagnant over the metropolitan area as winter air sets in.

Health and Financial Consequences

Public health and economic impact on the roughly thirty-three million people residing in the capital region is enormous, according to various investigations.

These hazardous conditions causes increased incidence of nervous system, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can result in oncological diseases.

Air quality crisis is projected to be accounting for approximately 10k untimely mortalities each year in Delhi.