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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis were faced with inhaling extremely polluted air that fell into the "alarming" category.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Levels

Multiple areas of the city recorded an air quality index over 500, which equals ten times the safe limit recommended by the WHO.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of 1800, amounting to 15 to 20 times exceeding safe levels.

Firecracker Restrictions and Current Policy Shifts

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a complete ban on the sale and use of firecrackers during celebrations due to their significant contribution to the dangerous smog that blankets the metropolis as winter begins.

Nevertheless in recent months, the recently formed local government appealed to the supreme court to request a easing of the ban.

Officials advocated for allowing "green crackers" – previously criticized by environmental experts as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "heritage and environment".

Judicial Ruling and Reality

Much to the frustration of medical and ecological advocates, judicial authorities agreed to the request, mandating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be ignited during specific hours throughout the celebrations.

On Monday night, there was widespread disregard of the regulated periods across the city, with little monitoring regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Numerous monitoring devices throughout the city showed contamination spiking around midnight to some of the worst levels recorded during Diwali in at least three years.

International Effects

The widespread use of firecrackers during the celebrations also initiated a blame game with neighbouring the neighboring country, with authorities in Pakistan's the Punjab region partly blaming declining air quality in Lahore on contaminants traveling from across the border following the events.

Long-Standing Pollution Problem

Alarmingly severe readings of air contamination in the city have persisted as a major issue for more than 15 years, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

Near Diwali, the amount of hazardous particulate matter in the environment has been found to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the peak levels ever documented in Beijing, which was formerly regarded as the planet's dirtiest urban center.

Various Pollution Contributors

This crisis in Delhi is resulting from a convergence of various sources including automobile exhaust, dust, construction activities, garbage fires and pollutants from crop residue ignition in neighbouring areas of neighboring agricultural zones.

In these regions, farmers illegally ignite agricultural waste to prepare for next season, producing toxic pollution that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as cooler air descends.

Health and Financial Consequences

Both financial and medical impact on the nearly 33 million inhabitants residing in the metropolitan zone is significant, according to multiple investigations.

This pollution results in elevated rates of neurological, heart and circulatory and breathing disorders, and can even lead to malignancies.

Environmental contamination is projected to be causing approximately 10k premature mortalities each year in the city.