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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis found themselves breathing severely hazardous air that was classified as the "critical" level.

Record-Breaking Pollution Measurements

Multiple areas of the capital showed an air quality index over 500, which equals ten times the recommended level established by the global health authority.

In some locations, readings of PM2.5 and PM10 reached peaks of 1,800, representing 15 to 20 times above safe limits.

Fireworks Prohibition and New Developments

For the past four years, officials had enforced a total prohibition on the sale and use of fireworks during Diwali due to their major role to the dangerous smog that blankets the capital as the cold season sets in.

Yet recently, the newly elected regional administration approached the supreme court to seek a modification of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – previously criticized by environmental experts as being only approximately one-third reduced emissions – as a compromise between "cultural practices and public health".

Judicial Decision and Enforcement

To the disappointment of medical and ecological campaigners, the court approved the proposal, stipulating that green firecrackers could be set off during specific time windows throughout the Diwali.

On Monday night, there was widespread flouting of the regulated periods across the capital, with minimal enforcement regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly variety.

Numerous recording stations throughout the city recorded contamination reaching highest levels around late evening to extremely hazardous levels recorded during the festival in at least recent memory.

Regional Consequences

The proliferation of fireworks during Diwali also sparked a dispute with bordering Pakistan, with authorities in Pakistan's Punjab pointing to worsening air quality in the city of Lahore on contaminants traveling from across the border following the celebrations.

Long-Standing Pollution Problem

Alarmingly severe levels of pollution in the capital have continued as a serious challenge for more than 15 years, with the problem gradually deteriorating.

Near celebratory seasons, the concentration of hazardous airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been found to increase dramatically to significantly exceeding the worst records ever measured in the Chinese city, which was formerly considered as the globally most contaminated city.

Various Pollution Sources

The problem in the city is resulting from a mix of multiple factors including transportation pollution, dust, development work, garbage fires and pollutants from agricultural fires in nearby regions of farming communities.

In these regions, rural residents regularly burn crop residue to expedite field preparation, generating toxic pollution that then gets trapped over the metropolitan area as cooler air arrives.

Health and Economic Impact

Both financial and medical toll on the approximately 33 million inhabitants residing in the capital region is enormous, according to various investigations.

The contaminated air causes increased incidence of neurological, heart and circulatory and breathing conditions, and can result in malignancies.

The pollution is estimated to be responsible for ten thousand untimely fatalities each year in the capital.