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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the planet's dirtiest urban center were faced with inhaling dangerously toxic air that registered in the "alarming" range.

Record-Breaking Pollution Measurements

Multiple areas of the capital recorded an AQI above 500, which translates to 10x the recommended level set by the WHO.

Certain monitoring stations, readings of dangerous airborne particles hit highs of 1,800, amounting to 15-20x above safe limits.

Firecracker Prohibition and New Changes

Beginning in 2020, authorities had implemented a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their significant contribution to the deadly haze that covers the capital as colder weather approaches.

Nevertheless recently, the current regional leadership petitioned the highest court to request a easing of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been questioned by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a compromise between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Legal Verdict and Enforcement

Despite concerns of public health and environmental activists, judges approved the proposal, mandating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be used during specific periods throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was considerable disregard of the designated hours across the metropolis, with little enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the more environmentally friendly version.

Numerous recording stations throughout Delhi recorded contamination spiking around midnight to some of the worst levels seen during the festival in at least the past three years.

Cross-Border Consequences

The widespread use of firecrackers during the celebrations also sparked a controversy with adjacent Pakistan, with officials in Pakistan's the Punjab region partially attributing worsening pollution levels in their urban centers on contaminants traveling from across the border following the events.

Persistent Pollution Problem

Alarmingly severe levels of pollution in the capital have persisted as a serious challenge for over a decade and a half, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

During Diwali, the levels of toxic particles in the atmosphere has been found to shoot up to significantly exceeding the worst readings ever recorded in Beijing, which was previously viewed as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Various Contamination Contributors

The problem in the city is resulting from a mix of various sources including transportation pollution, airborne particles, construction activities, waste incineration and smoke from agricultural fires in nearby regions of farming communities.

In these regions, rural residents illegally set their fields on fire to clear them quickly, creating dangerous pollution that becomes contained over the capital as cooler air arrives.

Medical and Economic Consequences

Public health and economic consequences on the nearly 33 million inhabitants living in the metropolitan zone is substantial, according to numerous investigations.

This pollution leads to elevated rates of neurological, cardiovascular and lung conditions, and can result in cancer.

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