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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered breathing severely hazardous air that registered in the "critical" category.

Extremely High Air Quality Readings

Various sections of the city showed an AQI exceeding 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the safe limit recommended by the global health authority.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1,800, representing 15 to 20 times higher than safe standards.

Fireworks Restrictions and Recent Changes

For the past four years, officials had maintained a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the dangerous haze that covers the capital as winter sets in.

However earlier this year, the current regional administration approached the highest court to seek a easing of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – historically doubted by environmentalists as being only about 30% lower impact – as a balance between "tradition and environment".

Legal Decision and Implementation

Despite concerns of medical and ecological campaigners, the court approved the appeal, mandating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be used during limited periods throughout the Diwali.

During the celebrations, there was widespread disregard of the time restrictions across the metropolis, with little enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the eco-friendly version.

Many monitoring devices throughout the capital recorded contamination spiking around the night hours to the most severe readings recorded during the festival in at least the past three years.

International Effects

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the celebrations also triggered a dispute with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani Punjab province pointing to declining pollution levels in the city of Lahore on hazardous particles traveling from neighboring India following the events.

Persistent Pollution Crisis

Extremely elevated levels of atmospheric toxins in the city have continued as a significant problem for fifteen-plus years, with the problem showing no improvement.

During Diwali, the levels of hazardous airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been documented to shoot up to significantly exceeding the most severe levels ever recorded in Beijing, which was once regarded as the world's most polluted urban center.

Diverse Contamination Factors

The situation in Delhi is attributed to a combination of different contributors including transportation pollution, airborne particles, building projects, waste incineration and haze from agricultural fires in neighbouring areas of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, rural residents illegally set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, generating toxic haze that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as colder air sets in.

Public Health and Economic Consequences

Public health and economic toll on the approximately 33 million people calling home the capital region is significant, according to various investigations.

The contaminated air results in elevated rates of neurological, heart and circulatory and respiratory conditions, and can potentially cause oncological diseases.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be responsible for 10,000 untimely mortalities each year in the capital.