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On Tuesday morning residents of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves breathing severely hazardous air that was classified as the "severe" level.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Measurements

Various sections of Delhi showed an pollution measurement over 500, which equals 10x the recommended threshold established by the global health authority.

In some locations, concentrations of dangerous airborne particles soared to of 1,800, amounting to fifteen to twenty times above acceptable levels.

Firecracker Prohibition and New Policy Shifts

For the past four years, the government had implemented a complete ban on the sale and use of firecrackers during Diwali due to their substantial impact to the deadly pollution that covers the city as winter approaches.

Yet recently, the current local government approached the judicial authority to request a modification of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "green crackers" – historically doubted by conservation groups as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a compromise between "cultural practices and public health".

Judicial Verdict and Enforcement

Despite concerns of environmental and health campaigners, judges approved the proposal, mandating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be set off during specific time windows throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was extensive flouting of the regulated periods across the capital, with minimal enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the supposedly greener version.

Numerous air quality sensors throughout Delhi showed contamination peaking around late evening to some of the worst measurements seen during celebrations in at least recent memory.

International Consequences

Extensive ignition of fireworks during Diwali also initiated a controversy with adjacent Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistani Punjab partially attributing deteriorating atmospheric conditions in their urban centers on hazardous particles coming from neighboring India following the festivities.

Long-Standing Pollution Crisis

The dangerously high levels of atmospheric toxins in the capital have continued as a significant issue for fifteen-plus years, with the problem continuing to worsen.

Around the festival period, the concentration of dangerous particulate matter in the environment has been documented to spike to 70% higher the most severe readings ever documented in Beijing, which was formerly considered as the world's most polluted urban center.

Various Contamination Sources

The problem in the capital is attributed to a convergence of various sources including transportation pollution, airborne particles, construction activities, rubbish burning and pollutants from agricultural fires in adjacent areas of Punjab and Haryana.

In these regions, agricultural workers routinely set their fields on fire to prepare for next season, creating hazardous smog that then gets trapped over the capital as cooler air sets in.

Public Health and Economic Consequences

The economic and health impact on the nearly 33 million residents calling home the Delhi area is significant, according to numerous research.

These hazardous conditions results in high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and breathing diseases, and can even lead to oncological diseases.

The pollution is projected to be accounting for 10,000 premature fatalities annually in the capital.