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On Tuesday morning citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered inhaling extremely polluted air that was classified as the "critical" category.

Extremely High Pollution Levels

Various sections of the capital showed an AQI exceeding 500, which translates to 10x the recommended threshold established by the WHO.

Particular areas, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of eighteen hundred, equating to fifteen to twenty times above safe standards.

Pyrotechnics Restrictions and Current Policy Shifts

For the past four years, officials had enforced a complete ban on the purchase and ignition of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their significant contribution to the deadly haze that covers the city as the cold season sets in.

However in recent months, the recently formed local government approached the highest court to seek a modification of the ban.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously doubted by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a compromise between "cultural practices and environment".

Judicial Ruling and Implementation

Despite concerns of public health and environmental activists, judicial authorities agreed to the proposal, stipulating that green firecrackers could be set off during designated time windows throughout the Diwali.

Throughout the festival evening, there was widespread disregard of the designated hours across the metropolis, with little monitoring regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the eco-friendly version.

Many air quality sensors throughout the city recorded contamination reaching highest levels around midnight to extremely hazardous measurements recorded during Diwali in at least the past three years.

International Implications

The proliferation of fireworks during Diwali also triggered a blame game with adjacent the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistan's Punjab partially attributing declining atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on pollutants traveling from India following the celebrations.

Chronic Pollution Problem

Alarmingly severe readings of air contamination in Delhi have persisted as a significant problem for more than 15 years, with the situation showing no improvement.

During Diwali, the levels of hazardous particles in the air has been observed to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the peak records ever recorded in Beijing, which was formerly considered as the globally most contaminated urban center.

Multiple Pollution Contributors

The situation in the city is attributed to a mix of different contributors including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, building projects, rubbish burning and smoke from farm burning in nearby states of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, farmers illegally burn crop residue to prepare for next season, generating dangerous smog that then gets trapped over the capital as colder air sets in.

Medical and Economic Consequences

Public health and economic toll on the roughly thirty-three million people residing in the Delhi area is substantial, according to numerous investigations.

This pollution leads to high levels of nervous system, heart and circulatory and respiratory diseases, and can even lead to cancer.

Environmental contamination is calculated to be causing 10,000 early deaths annually in the capital.