Firecrackers are a part of celebrations for the Hindu festival of Diwali, which falls in mid-November this year.

Smoke from the hundreds of firecrackers that light up the sky during the festival leaves the city shrouded in toxic haze, made worse as colder air traps dust, vehicle emissions, and pollution from stubble burning in neighbouring regions.

The Delhi government is set to meet with experts this week to draw up an action plan to combat pollution in the winter, when foul air causes a spike in respiratory ailments in one of the world’s most polluted cities, often resulting in school closures and public health emergency declarations.