Millions of Indians are celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights, one of Hinduism's most significant and widely observed festivals.
While lamps and firecrackers light up homes and streets during the festival, they also worsen air pollution - a problem especially pronounced in northern India, where winter months already bring poor air quality.
This year, the Supreme Court has permitted the sale and use of "green crackers" in the capital, Delhi, to help curb air pollution, ending a ban on crackers that has been in place since 2020.
"Green crackers" claim to emit 20–30% less pollution than traditional firecrackers, but critics doubt their actual effectiveness in protecting the environment.
In recent years, several states have restricted or banned firecrackers to combat rising air pollution, but the rules are often flouted, further worsening air quality in the days after Diwali.
