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Tuesday brought residents of the world's most polluted city encountered breathing dangerously toxic air that fell into the "severe" category.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Measurements

Various sections of Delhi recorded an pollution measurement over 500, which translates to ten times the safe limit set by the WHO.

In some locations, levels of dangerous airborne particles hit highs of 1800, equating to 15-20x higher than acceptable limits.

Fireworks Prohibition and New Changes

For the past four years, the government had implemented a complete ban on the distribution and bursting of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the dangerous haze that blankets the city as colder weather approaches.

However earlier this year, the recently formed local leadership approached the judicial authority to request a relaxation of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically criticized by environmental experts as being only about 30% lower impact – as a compromise between "tradition and public health".

Judicial Decision and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of environmental and health activists, judges approved the request, mandating that green firecrackers could be set off during limited periods throughout the celebrations.

Throughout the festival evening, there was extensive disregard of the regulated periods across the city, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Numerous monitoring devices throughout the capital showed contamination reaching highest levels around the night hours to some of the worst readings observed during Diwali in at least three years.

International Effects

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the festival also sparked a blame game with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab province partially attributing deteriorating pollution levels in the city of Lahore on hazardous particles coming from India following the celebrations.

Chronic Pollution Issue

Extremely elevated readings of air contamination in Delhi have continued as a serious challenge for over a decade and a half, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

During Diwali, the levels of dangerous particles in the environment has been found to spike to 70% higher the peak readings ever recorded in China's capital, which was once viewed as the globally most contaminated urban center.

Diverse Contamination Sources

The problem in Delhi is attributed to a convergence of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, development work, rubbish burning and smoke from farm burning in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

In these regions, farmers routinely set their fields on fire to prepare for next season, producing toxic haze that becomes contained over the city as cooler air descends.

Health and Economic Toll

Public health and economic impact on the roughly thirty-three million people residing in the capital region is substantial, according to numerous studies.

This pollution causes high levels of nervous system, heart and circulatory and lung conditions, and can result in cancer.

Air quality crisis is projected to be causing 10,000 premature fatalities annually in the city.