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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves breathing severely hazardous air that was classified as the "critical" level.

Alarming Air Quality Readings

Several parts of Delhi showed an AQI above 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the safe limit set by the WHO.

In some locations, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1800, amounting to 15-20x above safe levels.

Pyrotechnics Ban and Current Changes

For the past four years, authorities had enforced a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the dangerous pollution that blankets the metropolis as the cold season approaches.

Yet earlier this year, the recently formed city government petitioned the supreme court to request a easing of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – which have been criticized by conservation groups as being only approximately one-third reduced emissions – as a compromise between "cultural practices and environment".

Court Decision and Reality

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

Throughout the festival evening, there was extensive violation of the regulated periods across the city, with little regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the more environmentally friendly type.

Numerous recording stations throughout the capital recorded contamination reaching highest levels around late evening to the most severe readings observed during Diwali in at least three years.

Cross-Border Implications

The widespread use of firecrackers during Diwali also triggered a controversy with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani the Punjab region partly blaming deteriorating air quality in their urban centers on pollutants originating in India following the events.

Persistent Environmental Problem

The dangerously high levels of pollution in the city have remained as a significant issue for over a decade and a half, with the condition gradually deteriorating.

Around the festival period, the amount of dangerous particulate matter in the atmosphere has been documented to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the worst readings ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was once regarded as the world's most polluted urban center.

Diverse Pollution Sources

This crisis in the capital is attributed to a convergence of different contributors including heavy vehicle emissions, airborne particles, building projects, garbage fires and pollutants from crop residue ignition in nearby states of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, farmers routinely burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, creating toxic pollution that remains stagnant over the capital as colder air sets in.

Medical and Financial Consequences

The economic and health toll on the approximately 33 million people calling home the Delhi area is enormous, according to multiple studies.

The contaminated air results in high levels of nervous system, cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, and can potentially cause cancer.

Air quality crisis is projected to be accounting for ten thousand untimely deaths annually in the city.