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As Tuesday dawned citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered inhaling dangerously toxic air that registered in the "alarming" level.

Extremely High Air Quality Readings

Several parts of Delhi recorded an pollution measurement over 500, which equals 10x the recommended limit set by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of 1800, equating to fifteen to twenty times above acceptable standards.

Firecracker Prohibition and Recent Policy Shifts

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

Yet earlier this year, the newly elected regional administration petitioned the highest court to seek a modification of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been doubted by environmentalists as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a middle ground between "heritage and environment".

Court Ruling and Enforcement

Despite concerns of medical and ecological advocates, judges complied with the request, specifying that green firecrackers could be used during designated hours throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was widespread violation of the designated hours across the city, with minimal monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the more environmentally friendly variety.

Many recording stations throughout the city recorded pollution peaking around late evening to the most severe measurements recorded during the festival in at least three years.

Cross-Border Consequences

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also sparked a blame game with neighbouring the neighboring country, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab province pointing to deteriorating air quality in Lahore on pollutants coming from India following the festivities.

Persistent Pollution Problem

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

Around the festival period, the levels of dangerous particles in the atmosphere has been found to spike to significantly exceeding the worst readings ever measured in the Chinese city, which was previously viewed as the world's most polluted city.

Diverse Pollution Sources

The problem in Delhi is attributed to a convergence of various sources including automobile exhaust, airborne particles, building projects, garbage fires and pollutants from agricultural fires in nearby areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

In these regions, rural residents illegally burn crop residue to prepare for next season, producing hazardous pollution that then gets trapped over the capital as colder air sets in.

Public Health and Economic Consequences

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

This pollution leads to high levels of nervous system, heart and circulatory and breathing disorders, and can potentially cause cancer.

Environmental contamination is projected to be accounting for ten thousand early deaths per year in the capital.