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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with exposed to dangerously toxic air that fell into the "severe" level.

Alarming Air Quality Measurements

Multiple areas of the capital registered an AQI exceeding 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the healthy level set by the WHO.

Particular areas, levels of dangerous airborne particles reached peaks of 1,800, representing 15 to 20 times above healthy levels.

Pyrotechnics Ban and Current Changes

For the past four years, officials had maintained a complete ban on the purchase and ignition of fireworks during Diwali due to their significant contribution to the hazardous haze that engulfs the capital as colder weather approaches.

Yet in recent months, the newly elected city administration petitioned the highest court to request a relaxation of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously criticized by environmentalists as being only about 30% lower impact – as a middle ground between "cultural practices and public health".

Judicial Verdict and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of environmental and health advocates, judicial authorities approved the proposal, stipulating that environmentally conscious fireworks could be ignited during designated hours throughout the celebrations.

On Monday night, there was extensive disregard of the regulated periods across the city, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the more environmentally friendly type.

Several air quality sensors throughout Delhi registered contamination reaching highest levels around late evening to some of the worst levels observed during Diwali in at least three years.

International Consequences

Extensive ignition of fireworks during the festival also sparked a blame game with adjacent Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani the Punjab region partially attributing worsening atmospheric conditions in Lahore on hazardous particles traveling from across the border following the events.

Chronic Environmental Crisis

The dangerously high concentrations of atmospheric toxins in the city have remained as a serious issue for more than 15 years, with the situation showing no improvement.

Around celebratory seasons, the concentration of toxic particles in the air has been observed to increase dramatically to 70% higher the most severe levels ever documented in China's capital, which was once considered as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Multiple Contamination Sources

The problem in the city is resulting from a convergence of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, dust, construction activities, waste incineration and haze from crop residue ignition in adjacent areas of farming communities.

Within these states, agricultural workers illegally ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, generating toxic pollution that remains stagnant over the city as cooler air arrives.

Medical and Financial Toll

Public health and economic toll on the nearly 33 million people residing in the metropolitan zone is substantial, according to various studies.

These hazardous conditions results in elevated rates of nervous system, cardiovascular and lung diseases, and can even lead to cancer.

The pollution is projected to be responsible for approximately 10k premature fatalities each year in the city.