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On Tuesday morning citizens of the world's most polluted city encountered exposed to dangerously toxic air that was classified as the "severe" level.

Alarming Air Quality Levels

Various sections of the city registered an pollution measurement over 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the safe level established by the World Health Organization.

Particular areas, concentrations of toxic particulate matter soared to of 1800, amounting to 15 to 20 times exceeding acceptable levels.

Fireworks Ban and Current Developments

For the past four years, authorities had enforced a complete ban on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during celebrations due to their significant contribution to the dangerous pollution that blankets the capital as colder weather sets in.

However earlier this year, the newly elected city government approached the supreme court to seek a relaxation of the prohibition.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – previously doubted by conservation groups as being only approximately one-third less polluting – as a balance between "heritage and environment".

Court Verdict and Implementation

Despite concerns of environmental and health campaigners, judges approved the appeal, stipulating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be ignited during limited periods throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was widespread disregard of the time restrictions across the metropolis, with minimal regulation regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly version.

Numerous recording stations throughout the city showed pollution spiking around the night hours to the most severe levels recorded during Diwali in at least the past three years.

International Implications

The proliferation of fireworks during the celebrations also sparked a controversy with bordering the neighboring country, with representatives in Pakistan's Punjab province partly blaming deteriorating air quality in the city of Lahore on contaminants coming from across the border following the festivities.

Chronic Pollution Crisis

The dangerously high readings of pollution in the capital have persisted as a serious issue for more than 15 years, with the problem continuing to worsen.

During the festival period, the amount of hazardous particles in the air has been found to spike to seventy percent above the peak records ever documented in China's capital, which was previously considered as the planet's dirtiest city.

Diverse Contamination Contributors

The problem in the capital is resulting from a convergence of multiple factors including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, development work, garbage fires and smoke from farm burning in neighbouring regions of Punjab and Haryana.

In these regions, agricultural workers regularly ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, creating toxic pollution that then gets trapped over the city as cooler air sets in.

Medical and Economic Consequences

The economic and health impact on the approximately 33 million people calling home the metropolitan zone is substantial, according to various research.

The contaminated air causes high levels of neurological, heart and circulatory and respiratory conditions, and can potentially cause cancer.

Air quality crisis is projected to be causing approximately 10k early fatalities annually in the city.