Two days after Diwali, as the national capital region feels its effects, wondering if the cracker ban was effective or not, the pollution levels in the region are far from healthy.
As the data from Air Quality Index (AQI) suggests, the PM2.5 and PM10 units – particles thinner than human hair – in the air are high, making the air unbreathable for a large swathe of people. These are the levels as of Saturday, 21 October.
Pollution levels in other cities, especially the metros, around the country are far from breathable, but are relatively lower than the national capital, with Bengaluru being the cleanest of the metros surveyed.
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