Cracker ban goes up in smoke but here is how Diwali 2018 can be cleaner
Supreme Court’s decision to ban the sale of crackers in Delhi-NCR ahead of Diwali couldn’t deter most of the residents from bursting crackers after obtaining them through dubious means. Even as this was the least polluting Diwali in the last three years, Delhites woke up to a blanket of smoke on Friday after having a fun night with crackers. The online indicators of air pollution on Diwali in the region glowed red, indicating a “very poor” air quality, while the volume of ultra fine particulates PM2.5 and PM10, which enter the respiratory system and manage to reach bloodstream, went up sharply after 7 PM on Thursday. According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), PM 2.5 in Delhi hit “severe” levels by 11 am.....