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Tuesday brought citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis encountered inhaling extremely polluted air that was classified as the "critical" category.

Extremely High Pollution Measurements

Various sections of the city showed an pollution measurement exceeding 500, which translates to 10x the safe level recommended by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of eighteen hundred, equating to fifteen to twenty times exceeding healthy standards.

Fireworks Prohibition and New Policy Shifts

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during celebrations due to their major role to the deadly haze that engulfs the city as the cold season sets in.

Yet recently, the recently formed local administration appealed to the highest court to seek a relaxation of the restrictions.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – historically questioned by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a compromise between "tradition and public health".

Judicial Decision and Enforcement

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental campaigners, judicial authorities approved the appeal, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during specific time windows throughout the festival.

Throughout the festival evening, there was extensive disregard of the designated hours across the metropolis, with minimal regulation regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the more environmentally friendly variety.

Several recording stations throughout the capital registered contamination spiking around midnight to extremely hazardous levels recorded during celebrations in at least three years.

Regional Implications

The proliferation of fireworks during the festival also triggered a dispute with adjacent the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistani Punjab province pointing to worsening pollution levels in the city of Lahore on contaminants coming from neighboring India following the celebrations.

Persistent Pollution Crisis

Extremely elevated levels of air contamination in the capital have persisted as a significant problem for more than 15 years, with the condition gradually deteriorating.

During celebratory seasons, the concentration of hazardous airborne contaminants in the air has been observed to increase dramatically to 70% higher the peak levels ever documented in China's capital, which was formerly regarded as the world's most polluted urban center.

Various Pollution Contributors

The problem in Delhi is caused by a mix of various sources including transportation pollution, construction debris, building projects, waste incineration and pollutants from farm burning in nearby areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

Within these states, farmers illegally set their fields on fire to clear them quickly, creating hazardous smog that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as colder air arrives.

Medical and Economic Toll

Public health and economic toll on the approximately 33 million residents living in the capital region is significant, according to numerous studies.

These hazardous conditions causes high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can potentially cause oncological diseases.

The pollution is calculated to be responsible for approximately 10k early fatalities each year in the capital.