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Tuesday brought residents of the planet's dirtiest urban center encountered exposed to extremely polluted air that was classified as the "alarming" range.

Extremely High Air Quality Readings

Various sections of the city registered an AQI above 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the healthy limit established by the global health authority.

In some locations, concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 hit highs of 1800, representing 15 to 20 times above healthy limits.

Firecracker Restrictions and New Developments

Beginning in 2020, officials had enforced a total prohibition on the distribution and bursting of firecrackers during celebrations due to their significant contribution to the deadly smog that engulfs the city as winter approaches.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the current city leadership appealed to the judicial authority to request a relaxation of the prohibition.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – previously doubted by conservation groups as being only about 30% reduced emissions – as a compromise between "tradition and public health".

Court Decision and Reality

To the disappointment of public health and environmental campaigners, judicial authorities complied with the appeal, specifying that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be set off during limited periods throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was widespread violation of the designated hours across the metropolis, with little enforcement regarding whether the pyrotechnics being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Many air quality sensors throughout the city registered contamination spiking around midnight to some of the worst readings recorded during Diwali in at least the past three years.

International Implications

Extensive ignition of firecrackers during the festival also initiated a dispute with bordering the neighboring country, with officials in Pakistan's the Punjab region partially attributing declining air quality in their urban centers on pollutants coming from India following the events.

Persistent Pollution Problem

The dangerously high readings of air contamination in the city have remained as a significant issue for more than 15 years, with the situation gradually deteriorating.

Around the festival period, the amount of hazardous particles in the environment has been observed to spike to 70% higher the peak levels ever recorded in the Chinese city, which was once considered as the world's most polluted urban center.

Various Pollution Contributors

The problem in the city is caused by a mix of various sources including transportation pollution, dust, construction activities, waste incineration and smoke from agricultural fires in nearby states of neighboring agricultural zones.

Within these states, agricultural workers regularly burn crop residue to clear them quickly, generating dangerous pollution that then gets trapped over the capital as cooler air descends.

Health and Economic Consequences

Both financial and medical impact on the approximately 33 million inhabitants calling home the Delhi area is significant, according to various studies.

These hazardous conditions causes high levels of neurological, heart and circulatory and breathing disorders, and can even lead to cancer.

The pollution is projected to be accounting for ten thousand premature mortalities each year in the city.