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On Tuesday morning residents of the world's most polluted city found themselves inhaling dangerously toxic air that was classified as the "critical" range.

Alarming Air Quality Levels

Various sections of Delhi showed an air quality index exceeding 500, which translates to ten times the healthy threshold recommended by the WHO.

In some locations, levels of dangerous airborne particles soared to of eighteen hundred, representing fifteen to twenty times higher than healthy standards.

Firecracker Restrictions and New Changes

For the past four years, officials had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the sale and use of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their major role to the hazardous haze that blankets the metropolis as winter begins.

Yet in recent months, the recently formed local leadership approached the supreme court to request a relaxation of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – historically questioned by conservation groups as being only about 30% less polluting – as a balance between "heritage and ecological concerns".

Legal Ruling and Implementation

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental activists, judges approved the appeal, mandating that green firecrackers could be set off during specific periods throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was considerable disregard of the regulated periods across the capital, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly type.

Many monitoring devices throughout the capital showed air quality spiking around midnight to the most severe readings seen during celebrations in at least three years.

Cross-Border Consequences

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the celebrations also sparked a dispute with neighbouring Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistani Punjab province pointing to worsening atmospheric conditions in Lahore on contaminants coming from India following the events.

Chronic Pollution Problem

The dangerously high levels of atmospheric toxins in the capital have persisted as a serious issue for over a decade and a half, with the situation continuing to worsen.

Around celebratory seasons, the levels of toxic particles in the air has been observed to spike to significantly exceeding the worst readings ever documented in Beijing, which was once considered as the planet's dirtiest urban center.

Multiple Pollution Sources

The problem in the capital is attributed to a mix of different contributors including heavy vehicle emissions, airborne particles, construction activities, rubbish burning and haze from agricultural fires in nearby states of neighboring agricultural zones.

Throughout these areas, agricultural workers regularly burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, generating dangerous smog that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as colder air arrives.

Medical and Economic Toll

Public health and economic consequences on the nearly 33 million inhabitants residing in the Delhi area is enormous, according to various studies.

This pollution causes high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and lung conditions, and can potentially cause malignancies.

Environmental contamination is projected to be responsible for approximately 10k early fatalities each year in Delhi.