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On Tuesday morning residents of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves inhaling extremely polluted air that was classified as the "alarming" range.

Record-Breaking Pollution Readings

Several parts of the city showed an AQI exceeding 500, which translates to 10x the safe threshold recommended by the WHO.

In some locations, concentrations of toxic particulate matter hit highs of 1,800, amounting to 15-20x higher than acceptable limits.

Firecracker Ban and Current Developments

For the past four years, authorities had maintained a comprehensive restriction on the purchase and ignition of firecrackers during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the hazardous haze that engulfs the city as colder weather approaches.

However earlier this year, the recently formed city leadership appealed to the highest court to propose a modification of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – historically questioned by environmental experts as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a compromise between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Legal Verdict and Reality

To the disappointment of medical and ecological campaigners, judicial authorities agreed to the request, specifying that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be used during limited hours throughout the Diwali.

During the celebrations, there was widespread violation of the time restrictions across the city, with little monitoring regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly type.

Several air quality sensors throughout the capital recorded contamination peaking around the night hours to some of the worst levels recorded during the festival in at least recent memory.

International Implications

Extensive ignition of firecrackers during Diwali also initiated a dispute with adjacent Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistan's Punjab province partially attributing declining pollution levels in Lahore on hazardous particles coming from India following the events.

Persistent Environmental Problem

Alarmingly severe levels of air contamination in the city have remained as a significant issue for more than 15 years, with the situation gradually deteriorating.

Near the festival period, the amount of hazardous particulate matter in the air has been documented to spike to seventy percent above the worst records ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was formerly considered as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Multiple Pollution Factors

The problem in Delhi is caused by a combination of multiple factors including transportation pollution, construction debris, construction activities, waste incineration and haze from farm burning in adjacent regions of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, rural residents regularly set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, producing dangerous haze that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as winter air descends.

Health and Economic Impact

Public health and economic consequences on the approximately 33 million people living in the capital region is substantial, according to various investigations.

These hazardous conditions causes increased incidence of neurological, heart and circulatory and lung conditions, and can result in cancer.

Environmental contamination is projected to be accounting for approximately 10k early mortalities each year in the capital.