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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis found themselves exposed to severely hazardous air that registered in the "severe" category.

Extremely High Pollution Measurements

Multiple areas of Delhi showed an air quality index over 500, which represents ten times the healthy level established by the WHO.

Particular areas, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1800, equating to 15-20x higher than acceptable standards.

Firecracker Restrictions and Recent Developments

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a complete ban on the distribution and bursting of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their substantial impact to the hazardous pollution that covers the capital as winter begins.

Nevertheless in recent months, the newly elected regional leadership approached the highest court to request a relaxation of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "eco-friendly fireworks" – previously doubted by environmental experts as being only about 30% less polluting – as a middle ground between "tradition and environment".

Legal Verdict and Reality

Despite concerns of public health and environmental campaigners, the court approved the request, mandating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be ignited during limited hours throughout the celebrations.

Throughout the festival evening, there was extensive violation of the time restrictions across the metropolis, with insufficient monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Several monitoring devices throughout the city showed air quality peaking around the night hours to the most severe levels seen during Diwali in at least three years.

Cross-Border Effects

Extensive ignition of firecrackers during the celebrations also triggered a dispute with neighbouring Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistani Punjab pointing to declining pollution levels in Lahore on pollutants originating in India following the events.

Long-Standing Pollution Problem

Alarmingly severe concentrations of air contamination in the capital have continued as a serious issue for over a decade and a half, with the condition showing no improvement.

Around Diwali, the concentration of hazardous particulate matter in the environment has been observed to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the peak records ever measured in the Chinese city, which was once considered as the globally most contaminated urban center.

Multiple Pollution Contributors

The situation in the city is caused by a convergence of multiple factors including automobile exhaust, airborne particles, development work, waste incineration and haze from farm burning in adjacent areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

In these regions, farmers routinely burn crop residue to clear them quickly, producing dangerous haze that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as winter air descends.

Public Health and Financial Consequences

Both financial and medical impact on the approximately 33 million people calling home the capital region is significant, according to numerous research.

These hazardous conditions leads to elevated rates of nervous system, heart and circulatory and breathing disorders, and can even lead to cancer.

Environmental contamination is estimated to be accounting for 10,000 untimely mortalities annually in Delhi.