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As Tuesday dawned citizens of this heavily contaminated metropolis found themselves breathing dangerously toxic air that was classified as the "critical" level.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Measurements

Various sections of the capital recorded an pollution measurement over 500, which translates to a tenfold increase over the healthy limit recommended by the WHO.

In some locations, levels of toxic particulate matter soared to of eighteen hundred, equating to 15-20x exceeding safe levels.

Fireworks Restrictions and New Changes

For the past four years, the government had enforced a complete ban on the sale and use of fireworks during celebrations due to their substantial impact to the deadly smog that blankets the city as the cold season sets in.

However in recent months, the recently formed regional administration petitioned the highest court to propose a easing of the ban.

The suggestion was allowing "green crackers" – previously criticized by environmentalists as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a compromise between "tradition and ecological concerns".

Court Decision and Reality

Despite concerns of public health and environmental campaigners, judicial authorities complied with the appeal, stipulating that eco-friendly pyrotechnics could be used during limited hours throughout the festival.

During the celebrations, there was extensive flouting of the designated hours across the city, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the more environmentally friendly version.

Numerous recording stations throughout the city recorded contamination spiking around midnight to extremely hazardous measurements recorded during the festival in at least three years.

Cross-Border Implications

The proliferation of firecrackers during the celebrations also initiated a blame game with adjacent Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistan's the Punjab region partially attributing deteriorating air quality in their urban centers on hazardous particles coming from India following the events.

Chronic Pollution Problem

Extremely elevated readings of pollution in the capital have persisted as a significant issue for over a decade and a half, with the situation continuing to worsen.

Around the festival period, the levels of dangerous particulate matter in the air has been documented to shoot up to significantly exceeding the peak readings ever documented in the Chinese city, which was once viewed as the world's most polluted urban center.

Various Contamination Factors

This crisis in the capital is caused by a combination of various sources including transportation pollution, airborne particles, construction activities, waste incineration and pollutants from crop residue ignition in nearby areas of farming communities.

Throughout these areas, rural residents routinely ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, creating hazardous smog that becomes contained over the metropolitan area as winter air sets in.

Health and Economic Consequences

Both financial and medical impact on the nearly 33 million people calling home the Delhi area is substantial, according to various investigations.

These hazardous conditions causes high levels of nervous system, heart and circulatory and lung conditions, and can potentially cause malignancies.

Air quality crisis is estimated to be responsible for 10,000 untimely fatalities each year in the capital.