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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center were faced with exposed to severely hazardous air that was classified as the "severe" category.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Readings

Various sections of Delhi showed an pollution measurement exceeding 500, which represents ten times the healthy threshold set by the WHO.

Certain monitoring stations, readings of toxic particulate matter reached peaks of 1800, equating to 15 to 20 times exceeding acceptable levels.

Fireworks Ban and Current Developments

For the past four years, the government had implemented a complete ban on the purchase and ignition of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their significant contribution to the hazardous pollution that engulfs the city as the cold season begins.

Yet earlier this year, the current city government appealed to the judicial authority to seek a relaxation of the prohibition.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – previously questioned by environmentalists as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a balance between "cultural practices and public health".

Judicial Decision and Reality

Despite concerns of environmental and health advocates, judicial authorities approved the proposal, mandating that green firecrackers could be used during limited periods throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was extensive flouting of the designated hours across the city, with little monitoring regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the more environmentally friendly variety.

Several air quality sensors throughout Delhi registered air quality peaking around midnight to extremely hazardous measurements observed during the festival in at least the past three years.

Regional Implications

The widespread use of firecrackers during the celebrations also initiated a blame game with neighbouring the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistan's Punjab partially attributing deteriorating pollution levels in Lahore on pollutants coming from neighboring India following the events.

Persistent Pollution Problem

Extremely elevated readings of pollution in the city have continued as a serious challenge for more than 15 years, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

Near Diwali, the concentration of dangerous airborne contaminants in the air has been found to shoot up to significantly exceeding the peak levels ever recorded in China's capital, which was once regarded as the world's most polluted urban center.

Various Pollution Contributors

The problem in Delhi is resulting from a mix of multiple factors including transportation pollution, airborne particles, building projects, waste incineration and smoke from farm burning in neighbouring areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

In these regions, rural residents illegally burn crop residue to clear them quickly, generating dangerous pollution that becomes contained over the capital as colder air descends.

Medical and Economic Impact

Both financial and medical consequences on the approximately 33 million people residing in the Delhi area is enormous, according to various research.

These hazardous conditions causes elevated rates of neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, and can potentially cause cancer.

Environmental contamination is estimated to be accounting for 10,000 untimely deaths per year in the capital.