Delhi's Cracker Ban Stutters But Pollution Levels Lower On Diwali

A quiet and promising evening gave way to thick haze and noise as Delhi celebrated Diwali on Thursday, dashing the hopes of cracker-free festivities, following a Supreme Court ban on the sale of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR). The online indicators of the pollution monitoring stations in the city glowed red, indicating a 'very poor' air quality as the volume of ultra fine particulates PM2.5 and PM10, which enter the respiratory system and manage to reach the bloodstream, sharply rose from around 7 pm.