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On Tuesday morning inhabitants of the world's most polluted city were faced with exposed to extremely polluted air that was classified as the "critical" category.

Alarming Pollution Readings

Several parts of the capital registered an pollution measurement above 500, which translates to ten times the healthy limit recommended by the WHO.

Certain monitoring stations, readings of dangerous airborne particles reached peaks of 1,800, amounting to 15 to 20 times exceeding safe limits.

Pyrotechnics Restrictions and Current Policy Shifts

For the past four years, the government had enforced a complete ban on the sale and use of pyrotechnics during Diwali due to their major role to the deadly smog that covers the city as colder weather sets in.

However recently, the newly elected regional government appealed to the judicial authority to request a easing of the restrictions.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – which have been questioned by conservation groups as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "heritage and ecological concerns".

Legal Ruling and Enforcement

Despite concerns of public health and environmental campaigners, judges complied with the appeal, mandating that green firecrackers could be set off during limited periods throughout the festival.

Throughout the festival evening, there was widespread flouting of the regulated periods across the metropolis, with little enforcement regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly type.

Numerous air quality sensors throughout the capital showed pollution peaking around midnight to extremely hazardous readings observed during Diwali in at least three years.

International Effects

The proliferation of firecrackers during the festival also initiated a controversy with bordering Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistani the Punjab region partly blaming worsening pollution levels in Lahore on contaminants originating in India following the celebrations.

Chronic Environmental Issue

Alarmingly severe readings of atmospheric toxins in the capital have persisted as a serious problem for over a decade and a half, with the situation continuing to worsen.

Near celebratory seasons, the amount of toxic particulate matter in the environment has been documented to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the peak readings ever measured in China's capital, which was once regarded as the world's most polluted urban center.

Various Contamination Sources

The problem in the city is attributed to a convergence of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, building projects, garbage fires and smoke from crop residue ignition in neighbouring regions of Punjab and Haryana.

Throughout these areas, agricultural workers regularly set their fields on fire to expedite field preparation, creating hazardous smog that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as colder air descends.

Public Health and Economic Impact

Both financial and medical consequences on the approximately 33 million residents residing in the capital region is substantial, according to various studies.

These hazardous conditions leads to high levels of nervous system, cardiovascular and breathing conditions, and can even lead to malignancies.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be accounting for 10,000 untimely deaths per year in the capital.