The awareness drives against crackers and rallies being taken out for Green Diwali seemed to have little impact on city residents with air and noise pollution levels recorded this year being higher

While Lakshmipujan was the day of Diwali when maximum air pollution was recorded in the city, the air over Hadapsar area was the most polluted due to bursting of firecrackers.

Categories across the board from chocolate to cheese, olive oil to biscuits have been impacted as a result of stand off between importers, food safety regulator

It is not just your favourite imported chocolate that went missing from shop shelves this festive season. Crispies such as Pringles, gourmet cheese, olive oil, biscuits, noodles, pasta, jams, honey, oats, sauces... you name it... were hardly to be found this Diwali as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country's apex regulator, came down heavily on importers over labeling issues.

Experts Blame It On Type Of Crackers, Say Situation Critical

New Delhi: Many Delhiites felt that decibels levels on Diwali night were a shade lower than previous years, but the dense haze of near-choking pollution told a different story. Now the verdict is out. The PM 10 (coarse particles) levels this year were found to be higher compared to last year at all monitoring locations in the city, the Central Pollution Control Board said.

Noise pollution in Delhi witnessed an upward trend this Diwali compared with other metros like Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Kolkata.

However, air pollution was found to be on the lower side this year vis-à-vis previous year’s Diwali, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) noise and air pollution data released on Monday.

Patnaites seem to have become aware of the health hazards of noise pollution, as they opted for less noisy crackers this Diwali. However, the air pollution created by them was higher.

The mention of another spell of rain may make you grumble, but nothing short of a downpour will clean up the toxins in the air after Diwali.

Despite several awareness campaigns on precautions to be taken during Diwali festivities, many children and adults were injured while bursting fire crackers in the twin cities.