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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of the world's most polluted city found themselves inhaling dangerously toxic air that registered in the "critical" category.

Alarming Pollution Levels

Various sections of the city recorded an pollution measurement exceeding 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the healthy level set by the World Health Organization.

In some locations, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of eighteen hundred, representing 15 to 20 times above safe limits.

Firecracker Ban and Recent Developments

For the past four years, authorities had enforced a comprehensive restriction on the purchase and ignition of fireworks during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the dangerous haze that engulfs the city as winter begins.

Yet in recent months, the current city government petitioned the supreme court to propose a relaxation of the restrictions.

Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously criticized by conservation groups as being only roughly 30 percent lower impact – as a middle ground between "heritage and public health".

Judicial Decision and Implementation

Much to the frustration of medical and ecological campaigners, the court agreed to the request, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during specific hours throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was considerable violation of the designated hours across the capital, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Many recording stations throughout Delhi registered air quality spiking around late evening to some of the worst levels recorded during the festival in at least the past three years.

Cross-Border Consequences

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during Diwali also sparked a controversy with bordering the neighboring country, with representatives in Pakistani Punjab pointing to declining air quality in the city of Lahore on contaminants originating in across the border following the festivities.

Long-Standing Environmental Crisis

Alarmingly severe concentrations of atmospheric toxins in Delhi have remained as a major issue for over a decade and a half, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

Near celebratory seasons, the amount of hazardous particles in the atmosphere has been observed to increase dramatically to 70% higher the most severe records ever measured in the Chinese city, which was previously viewed as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Various Pollution Factors

The situation in Delhi is attributed to a convergence of different contributors including transportation pollution, airborne particles, construction activities, waste incineration and pollutants from agricultural fires in adjacent states of farming communities.

Within these states, farmers illegally burn crop residue to clear them quickly, producing hazardous pollution that remains stagnant over the capital as colder air arrives.

Medical and Financial Impact

The economic and health impact on the approximately 33 million inhabitants calling home the Delhi area is significant, according to various research.

This pollution causes increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and breathing diseases, and can potentially cause oncological diseases.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be causing 10,000 untimely deaths each year in the city.