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On Tuesday morning residents of this heavily contaminated metropolis found themselves inhaling dangerously toxic air that fell into the "critical" range.

Alarming Pollution Readings

Multiple areas of the city showed an AQI exceeding 500, which equals 10x the healthy threshold established by the global health authority.

Particular areas, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of eighteen hundred, equating to fifteen to twenty times exceeding healthy limits.

Fireworks Restrictions and Recent Policy Shifts

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

Yet recently, the recently formed local government approached the supreme court to request a modification of the restrictions.

Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously questioned by environmentalists as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a balance between "heritage and environment".

Court Decision and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental advocates, judicial authorities agreed to the appeal, specifying that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during limited periods throughout the celebrations.

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

Numerous recording stations throughout the city showed air quality reaching highest levels around midnight to extremely hazardous readings recorded during Diwali in at least three years.

Regional Effects

The widespread use of fireworks during Diwali also initiated a dispute with adjacent Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani Punjab pointing to worsening atmospheric conditions in the city of Lahore on hazardous particles originating in across the border following the events.

Long-Standing Pollution Issue

Alarmingly severe concentrations of pollution in the capital have persisted as a significant issue for over a decade and a half, with the condition showing no improvement.

Near celebratory seasons, the concentration of toxic particulate matter in the atmosphere has been documented to increase dramatically to 70% higher the worst levels ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was once considered as the planet's dirtiest city.

Various Pollution Factors

The situation in the capital is attributed to a combination of multiple factors including automobile exhaust, construction debris, building projects, rubbish burning and pollutants from farm burning in adjacent areas of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, rural residents illegally set their fields on fire to prepare for next season, generating toxic haze that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as winter air arrives.

Public Health and Economic Consequences

Both financial and medical impact on the nearly 33 million inhabitants residing in the Delhi area is significant, according to multiple investigations.

The contaminated air results in high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and breathing disorders, and can potentially cause malignancies.

The pollution is calculated to be accounting for approximately 10k untimely deaths annually in the capital.