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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the world's most polluted city were faced with inhaling severely hazardous air that was classified as the "alarming" range.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Readings

Several parts of the capital recorded an air quality index above 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the safe limit established by the global health authority.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of 1800, representing fifteen to twenty times above safe levels.

Fireworks Ban and Recent Policy Shifts

For the past four years, the government had enforced a total prohibition on the purchase and ignition of fireworks during celebrations due to their major role to the deadly smog that engulfs the capital as the cold season sets in.

Yet recently, the newly elected regional administration appealed to the judicial authority to seek a relaxation of the prohibition.

The suggestion was allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously questioned by environmental experts as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a balance between "heritage and public health".

Judicial Ruling and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of medical and ecological activists, judicial authorities agreed to the appeal, mandating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be used during designated periods throughout the Diwali.

Throughout the festival evening, there was extensive disregard of the time restrictions across the city, with little monitoring regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Numerous air quality sensors throughout Delhi registered contamination reaching highest levels around midnight to extremely hazardous measurements observed during the festival in at least the past three years.

Cross-Border Implications

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during the celebrations also initiated a controversy with bordering Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistani the Punjab region partly blaming deteriorating pollution levels in the city of Lahore on contaminants traveling from neighboring India following the festivities.

Long-Standing Pollution Issue

Alarmingly severe concentrations of atmospheric toxins in the capital have persisted as a significant challenge for more than 15 years, with the condition gradually deteriorating.

Near the festival period, the amount of hazardous particulate matter in the environment has been observed to spike to 70% higher the worst records ever documented in the Chinese city, which was previously viewed as the world's most polluted urban center.

Diverse Pollution Contributors

The situation in the capital is resulting from a mix of various sources including transportation pollution, construction debris, construction activities, rubbish burning and pollutants from farm burning in nearby regions of farming communities.

In these regions, rural residents illegally set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, generating dangerous smog that remains stagnant over the city as colder air arrives.

Public Health and Economic Impact

Public health and economic toll on the approximately 33 million residents residing in the metropolitan zone is significant, according to various investigations.

This pollution leads to elevated rates of nervous system, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, and can even lead to cancer.

Environmental contamination is projected to be responsible for 10,000 premature mortalities per year in Delhi.