Thick smog shrouds New Delhi after Diwali firecrackers add to seasonal pollution

NEW DELHI (AP) — A thick blanket of smog shrouded India’s capital Monday after firecrackers lit up the skies over New Delhi during Diwali celebrations, compounding dangerously high pollution levels and intensifying the seasonal air pollution crisis that grips the city every year.Despite restrictions on fireworks, residents in New Delhi celebrated the Hindu festival of lights with firecrackers on Sunday evening, releasing smoke and fine particulate matter into the atmosphere. The air quality index exceeded 350 in several parts of the capital on Monday morning, reaching the severe category and posing significant health risks.Monitoring stations across the city recorded similarly alarming levels, while visibility deteriorated as a gray haze blanketed streets and high-rise buildings.India’s Supreme Court in October had sought to limit Diwali pollution by restricting conventional firecrackers and allowing only approved “green firecrackers” under specified conditions for three-hour windows o