Thick smog shrouded New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after Diwali fireworks drove air pollution to hazardous levels. The city’s Air Quality Index topped 350 in several neighborhoods, and visibility fell as a gray haze swallowed streets, towers, and monuments. Despite a court order allowing only limited “green firecrackers,” late-night bursting largely flouted the rules. Authorities curbed construction and diesel generators, but environmentalists urged longer-term steps. A new study also links rising aerosols to declining sunshine hours across India—especially in the north—threatening solar power, agriculture, the environment, and public health.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.