Pollution levels have spiked in New Delhi as residents defied a ban on firecrackers during Diwali. The air quality index reached levels categorised as “hazardous” across many parts of the Indian capital, with a peak of 768 in the Jahangirpuri area – more than 15 times the “good” level. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s government said last week that people who let off firecrackers during Diwali would face up to six months in jail, under a broader ban introduced to help combat extreme winter pollution.
