Post-Diwali air is worse this year than last in Noida, Ghaziabad

Residents in Delhi woke up to a thick layer of smog following celebrations for the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali. The air quality dipped to the “very poor” category early on 13 November, with authorities warning of further air quality deterioration. Delhi regularly ranks among the most polluted major cities on the planet. The city is blanketed in acrid smog at the onset of winter every year. The government has already announced emergency school closures, stopped construction and banned diesel vehicles from entering the megacity in a bid to bring down pollution levels and get rid of the toxic smog.

The Delhi-NCR region experienced a return of smoky haze due to the violation of firecracker restrictions during Diwali. The air quality index (AQI) in Noida,...

Firecrackers were lit, despite the ban, which resulted in worse air quality on Diwali's following day. In Ghaziabad, the AQI was 167 the day before Diwali and...