India, Oct. 22 -- The large-scale bursting of firecrackers throughout the city in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, which was Day 1 of Diwali, significantly affected the air quality in many locations.

According to the 24-hour bulletin issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the average air quality index (AQI) in Mumbai stood at 211, which is in the poor category. This was also for the first time since the withdrawal of the monsoon on October 10 that the city's overall AQI plummeted into this category.

The overall AQI was an average of the readings in 28 of the 30 continuous ambient air quality monitoring systems (CAAQMS) placed throughout the city. The grading in Bandra-Kurla Complex was 'very poor' for the seco...