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Tuesday brought residents of the planet's dirtiest urban center encountered exposed to severely hazardous air that fell into the "alarming" category.

Record-Breaking Air Quality Measurements

Various sections of the city recorded an air quality index above 500, which equals a tenfold increase over the healthy limit set by the global health authority.

In some locations, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of 1,800, representing 15 to 20 times exceeding healthy levels.

Firecracker Restrictions and Recent Developments

For the past four years, officials had implemented a complete ban on the sale and use of pyrotechnics during the Festival of Lights due to their major role to the dangerous haze that covers the capital as colder weather approaches.

However in recent months, the recently formed local government petitioned the judicial authority to request a easing of the ban.

They proposed allowing "green crackers" – previously questioned by conservation groups as being only roughly 30 percent reduced emissions – as a middle ground between "heritage and public health".

Judicial Ruling and Enforcement

To the disappointment of environmental and health activists, the court approved the request, specifying that environmentally conscious fireworks could be ignited during limited time windows throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was extensive violation of the time restrictions across the city, with insufficient enforcement regarding whether the fireworks being used were actually the supposedly greener type.

Several air quality sensors throughout the capital showed pollution reaching highest levels around late evening to some of the worst measurements observed during celebrations in at least three years.

Cross-Border Consequences

The widespread use of pyrotechnics during the celebrations also sparked a controversy with bordering Pakistan, with officials in Pakistani Punjab province pointing to worsening air quality in Lahore on contaminants coming from across the border following the events.

Persistent Environmental Crisis

The dangerously high levels of pollution in the capital have remained as a major challenge for over a decade and a half, with the condition continuing to worsen.

Near the festival period, the amount of hazardous particulate matter in the atmosphere has been observed to shoot up to 70% higher the peak levels ever documented in Beijing, which was once regarded as the planet's dirtiest city.

Various Pollution Factors

This crisis in Delhi is caused by a mix of various sources including automobile exhaust, construction debris, construction activities, garbage fires and haze from farm burning in nearby areas of Punjab and Haryana.

Within these states, agricultural workers illegally ignite agricultural waste to expedite field preparation, producing hazardous smog that remains stagnant over the metropolitan area as winter air descends.

Medical and Financial Impact

Both financial and medical toll on the approximately 33 million residents residing in the capital region is significant, according to various research.

These hazardous conditions leads to increased incidence of neurological, cardiovascular and lung disorders, and can potentially cause malignancies.

The pollution is projected to be accounting for ten thousand untimely mortalities per year in the capital.