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Tuesday brought residents of the world's most polluted city encountered breathing extremely polluted air that registered in the "critical" category.

Extremely High Pollution Levels

Several parts of the capital showed an air quality index above 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the healthy level established by the global health authority.

Particular areas, levels of toxic particulate matter hit highs of 1800, equating to 15-20x exceeding safe limits.

Pyrotechnics Prohibition and Recent Developments

Beginning in 2020, authorities had enforced a comprehensive restriction on the sale and use of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their significant contribution to the deadly smog that blankets the capital as colder weather approaches.

However recently, the newly elected city leadership petitioned the supreme court to seek a easing of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically doubted by conservation groups as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "heritage and environment".

Judicial Decision and Implementation

Despite concerns of public health and environmental campaigners, the court complied with the appeal, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be used during designated periods throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was extensive disregard of the designated hours across the city, with little monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Numerous monitoring devices throughout the city recorded contamination reaching highest levels around late evening to some of the worst levels observed during Diwali in at least the past three years.

Regional Effects

The proliferation of firecrackers during Diwali also sparked a controversy with neighbouring the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistan's the Punjab region pointing to deteriorating pollution levels in Lahore on contaminants traveling from neighboring India following the festivities.

Persistent Environmental Crisis

Alarmingly severe concentrations of air contamination in the city have persisted as a significant challenge for fifteen-plus years, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

Around celebratory seasons, the levels of hazardous airborne contaminants in the air has been found to shoot up to seventy percent above the peak readings ever measured in Beijing, which was previously viewed as the world's most polluted city.

Diverse Contamination Sources

The problem in the city is attributed to a combination of different contributors including transportation pollution, construction debris, construction activities, rubbish burning and pollutants from agricultural fires in nearby states of farming communities.

Within these states, farmers illegally burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, producing hazardous smog that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as colder air sets in.

Health and Economic Toll

Both financial and medical toll on the nearly 33 million inhabitants living in the capital region is significant, according to various research.

The contaminated air results in high levels of nervous system, heart and circulatory and respiratory disorders, and can even lead to oncological diseases.

Air quality crisis is projected to be causing approximately 10k early fatalities each year in Delhi.