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On Tuesday morning citizens of the planet's dirtiest urban center found themselves breathing severely hazardous air that fell into the "severe" category.

Extremely High Pollution Levels

Multiple areas of Delhi recorded an pollution measurement over 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the healthy level recommended by the global health authority.

Particular areas, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1,800, amounting to fifteen to twenty times above acceptable limits.

Firecracker Ban and New Developments

For the past four years, the government had maintained a complete ban on the purchase and ignition of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the deadly haze that covers the metropolis as the cold season begins.

Nevertheless recently, the current city administration appealed to the highest court to request a modification of the ban.

The suggestion was allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously questioned by environmental experts as being only about 30% lower impact – as a middle ground between "cultural practices and public health".

Legal Verdict and Enforcement

Despite concerns of medical and ecological activists, judges agreed to the request, mandating that green firecrackers could be used during limited hours throughout the Diwali.

During the celebrations, there was considerable disregard of the regulated periods across the city, with little regulation regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly version.

Numerous monitoring devices throughout the capital registered pollution spiking around late evening to some of the worst levels observed during Diwali in at least recent memory.

Regional Implications

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during Diwali also initiated a dispute with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab province partly blaming declining atmospheric conditions in Lahore on pollutants originating in across the border following the events.

Persistent Environmental Problem

Alarmingly severe readings of air contamination in Delhi have continued as a major problem for more than 15 years, with the problem continuing to worsen.

Around Diwali, the levels of dangerous particles in the environment has been found to shoot up to 70% higher the peak records ever measured in Beijing, which was formerly viewed as the planet's dirtiest metropolis.

Diverse Pollution Contributors

This crisis in the capital is attributed to a combination of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, construction activities, waste incineration and haze from agricultural fires in nearby regions of neighboring agricultural zones.

In these regions, agricultural workers regularly ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, creating dangerous smog that becomes contained over the capital as cooler air arrives.

Health and Financial Impact

The economic and health toll on the roughly thirty-three million people living in the capital region is significant, according to numerous research.

These hazardous conditions results in increased incidence of nervous system, heart and circulatory and breathing conditions, and can potentially cause cancer.

The pollution is estimated to be causing 10,000 early deaths per year in the city.