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On Tuesday morning citizens of the world's most polluted city were faced with breathing extremely polluted air that was classified as the "alarming" range.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Measurements

Several parts of the capital recorded an air quality index above 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the safe level established by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of 1800, equating to fifteen to twenty times exceeding healthy levels.

Fireworks Ban and Current Developments

For the past four years, the government had implemented a complete ban on the sale and use of pyrotechnics during celebrations due to their significant contribution to the dangerous smog that covers the capital as colder weather begins.

However in recent months, the current city government appealed to the supreme court to propose a modification of the prohibition.

They proposed allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously criticized by environmental experts as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a middle ground between "cultural practices and environment".

Legal Decision and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of medical and ecological advocates, judicial authorities complied with the request, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during limited periods throughout the celebrations.

On Monday night, there was considerable flouting of the time restrictions across the metropolis, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the supposedly greener variety.

Several air quality sensors throughout Delhi registered pollution reaching highest levels around midnight to the most severe measurements seen during celebrations in at least three years.

Cross-Border Consequences

The widespread use of firecrackers during the celebrations also sparked a controversy with bordering Pakistan, with officials in Pakistani Punjab pointing to worsening air quality in Lahore on contaminants traveling from neighboring India following the festivities.

Long-Standing Environmental Crisis

Alarmingly severe concentrations of atmospheric toxins in the city have continued as a major problem for more than 15 years, with the situation continuing to worsen.

Near the festival period, the levels of dangerous particulate matter in the environment has been observed to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the worst readings ever recorded in China's capital, which was formerly viewed as the world's most polluted metropolis.

Multiple Contamination Contributors

The problem in Delhi is caused by a combination of various sources including heavy vehicle emissions, construction debris, development work, waste incineration and pollutants from crop residue ignition in neighbouring areas of Punjab and Haryana.

In these regions, farmers regularly ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, creating toxic haze that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as winter air arrives.

Medical and Financial Consequences

Public health and economic impact on the roughly thirty-three million people calling home the metropolitan zone is significant, according to numerous studies.

The contaminated air causes increased incidence of nervous system, cardiovascular and lung conditions, and can potentially cause malignancies.

Air quality crisis is projected to be accounting for approximately 10k premature fatalities annually in the capital.