There is a growing realisation that firecrackers and associated pollution darken Diwali, the Hindu festival of light. A just-published study found PM 2.5 pollution in many North Indian cities, tracked from 2017 to 2023 based on government air quality monitoring data, surged close to nine times the National Ambient Air Quality Standards on Diwali night. This pollution dissipated soon after, pointing at firecrackers’ unique stamp on air pollution. It helps put in perspective how........

© hindustantimes