Delhi residents woke up on Tuesday, a day after the Diwali celebrations, blanketed in a thick, heavy layer of smog as post-festival pollution drove the Air Quality Index (AQI) into the ‘Very Poor’ category .

The Supreme Court had allowed the use of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali, which was celebrated on Monday.

However, many flouted the court directions, with celebrations continuing late into the night.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s overall AQI stood at 350 as of 8 am, with most monitoring stations recording hazardous levels in the ‘Red Zone’ of pollution.

The air quality crisis intensified in several Delhi hotspots, which crossed the 401-mark into the ‘Severe’ category (AQI 401-500). Bawana registered the highest A

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