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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center encountered inhaling extremely polluted air that registered in the "critical" level.

Extremely High Air Quality Readings

Several parts of the capital registered an air quality index above 500, which represents 10x the healthy level established by the World Health Organization.

Certain monitoring stations, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of 1800, equating to fifteen to twenty times higher than acceptable limits.

Fireworks Restrictions and Current Changes

For the past four years, the government had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their substantial impact to the deadly smog that covers the metropolis as colder weather sets in.

However in recent months, the recently formed regional government petitioned the judicial authority to propose a relaxation of the ban.

Officials advocated for allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously criticized by conservation groups as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a balance between "cultural practices and ecological concerns".

Legal Ruling and Implementation

Much to the frustration of environmental and health activists, the court agreed to the proposal, stipulating that green firecrackers could be used during limited hours throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was considerable disregard of the time restrictions across the capital, with little regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener version.

Many air quality sensors throughout Delhi recorded pollution spiking around the night hours to the most severe readings recorded during the festival in at least recent memory.

Cross-Border Consequences

Extensive ignition of pyrotechnics during the festival also initiated a controversy with bordering the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistan's Punjab partially attributing worsening air quality in their urban centers on contaminants coming from across the border following the events.

Chronic Pollution Issue

Extremely elevated concentrations of pollution in the capital have persisted as a serious issue for more than 15 years, with the problem continuing to worsen.

During the festival period, the levels of dangerous particles in the atmosphere has been documented to shoot up to 70% higher the peak readings ever measured in China's capital, which was previously viewed as the planet's dirtiest city.

Diverse Pollution Contributors

The situation in Delhi is caused by a convergence of different contributors including transportation pollution, construction debris, construction activities, garbage fires and smoke from farm burning in adjacent states of neighboring agricultural zones.

In these regions, agricultural workers illegally ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, producing toxic haze that remains stagnant over the capital as colder air arrives.

Public Health and Economic Impact

Public health and economic impact on the approximately 33 million inhabitants living in the Delhi area is substantial, according to multiple investigations.

This pollution causes high levels of neurological, heart and circulatory and breathing disorders, and can even lead to malignancies.

The pollution is estimated to be responsible for 10,000 premature mortalities per year in Delhi.