India, Oct. 22 -- The city of Ghaziabad saw only a marginal spike in pollution between Diwali night and the day after, even as residents burst crackers in large numbers following the Supreme Court's green-cracker nod. While the increase was the lowest recorded since 2023, the overall air quality remained grim.

According to CPCB's 24-hour AQI bulletin till 4pm Tuesday, the city recorded an AQI of 316 on Monday and 324 on Tuesday - an eight-point rise over the festive period. "Conditions have eased slightly since the night of Diwali," said Ankit Kumar, regional officer of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (Ghaziabad).

"Wind velocity helped disperse some pollutants, but road dust, vehicular emissions, and firecrackers were major co...