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Tuesday brought citizens of the world's most polluted city found themselves breathing dangerously toxic air that registered in the "critical" category.

Record-Breaking Pollution Readings

Several parts of Delhi registered an pollution measurement above 500, which equals 10x the safe threshold recommended by the WHO.

Particular areas, levels of dangerous airborne particles hit highs of 1,800, representing 15-20x higher than acceptable limits.

Fireworks Prohibition and Current Policy Shifts

For the past four years, authorities had maintained a complete ban on the sale and use of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the hazardous smog that covers the city as the cold season sets in.

However recently, the recently formed city leadership petitioned the highest court to propose a relaxation of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously doubted by environmentalists as being only approximately one-third reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Court Ruling and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of environmental and health campaigners, judges agreed to the proposal, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during designated periods throughout the celebrations.

During the celebrations, there was extensive disregard of the designated hours across the city, with little monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the supposedly greener version.

Many recording stations throughout Delhi showed pollution spiking around late evening to some of the worst levels recorded during Diwali in at least recent memory.

Regional Consequences

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during the celebrations also sparked a controversy with neighbouring Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistani the Punjab region pointing to worsening air quality in Lahore on pollutants traveling from across the border following the festivities.

Long-Standing Pollution Problem

The dangerously high concentrations of pollution in the capital have continued as a major problem for over a decade and a half, with the situation continuing to worsen.

During the festival period, the amount of dangerous particles in the air has been observed to spike to seventy percent above the peak records ever documented in Beijing, which was formerly regarded as the planet's dirtiest city.

Various Pollution Sources

This crisis in Delhi is resulting from a combination of various sources including automobile exhaust, construction debris, building projects, waste incineration and smoke from agricultural fires in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, farmers illegally ignite agricultural waste to prepare for next season, creating hazardous smog that remains stagnant over the capital as winter air arrives.

Public Health and Financial Toll

The economic and health toll on the nearly 33 million residents calling home the capital region is significant, according to numerous studies.

These hazardous conditions leads to high levels of neurological, heart and circulatory and lung diseases, and can result in oncological diseases.

Environmental contamination is calculated to be causing ten thousand premature mortalities annually in the capital.