NEW DELHI - Residents of India’s capital, Delhi, woke up to smoky skies as air quality dropped after the festival of Diwali. People in the city burst crackers late into Sunday night despite a ban on fireworks due to high pollution levels. Delhi has been battling toxic air for weeks, with the government announcing an early winter break for schools in an effort to protect children. The city has high pollution through the year due to factors including vehicular emissions and dust. On Monday afternoon, according to the federal government’s Safar app, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was 445, with some places recording readings above 520.

Source: The Nation November 14, 2023 02:10 UTC