A display of fireworks at Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Sikh Guru Nanak Dev Ji, in Amritsar.
PTI Photo
Residents of Sadatganj area burst fire crackers outside their houses to celebrate SCs judgement in Ram Janmabhoomi case, in Ayodhya.
PTI Photo/ Nand Kumar
Supporters of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) celebrate the Supreme Court's verdict outside the VHP office in Ahmadabad. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Hindu temple on a dispute...
AP Photo/Ajit Solanki
People light fire crackers on a street during Diwali festival in Hyderabad.
AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.
People play with fireworks during Diwali, the festival of lights, in Prayagraj. People across the country are celebrating Diwali where people decorate their homes with light and bu...
AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh
People drive past firecrackers being burst on a street during Diwali festival in Hyderabad.
AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.
People drive past firecrackers being burst on a street during Diwali festival in Hyderabad.
AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.
Families participate in a ceremony to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, at a temple in Lahore, Pakistan.
AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary
Fireworks on display during Diwali festival, in Kullu district.
PTI Photo
Foreign tourists light candles and burn crackers during Diwali celebrations, in Varanasi.
PTI Photo
People play with fireworks during Diwali, the festival of lights, in Prayagraj, India. Hindus across the country are celebrating Diwali where people decorate their homes with light...
AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh
Indians drive past firecrackers being burst on a street during Diwali festival in Hyderabad. Hindus light lamps, wear new clothes, exchange sweets and gifts and pray to goddess Lak...
AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.
People shop for green firecrackers ahead of Diwali festival in New Delhi.
AP Photo/Manish Swarup
A boy buys green firecrackers ahead of Diwali festival in New Delhi.
AP Photo/Manish Swarup
Fireworks on display on the occasion of Dhanteras festival ahead of Diwali, in Prayagraj.
PTI Photo
A shopkeeper arranges firecrackers at his shop ahead of the festival of Diwali, in Jammu.
PTI Photo
Students form a human chain to spread awareness about ways to celebrate Diwali in an eco-friendly manner, in Mumbai.
PTI Photo/Shashank Parade
A schoolgirl wears a mask and walks in an air and sound pollution awareness rally, urging people not to burst firecrackers during Diwali festival in Kolkata.
AP Photo/Bikas Das
School students wear masks and walk in an air and sound pollution awareness rally, urging people not to burst firecrackers during Diwali festival in Kolkata.
AP Photo/Bikas Das
School students wear masks and walk in an air and sound pollution awareness rally, urging people not to burst firecrackers during Diwali festival in Kolkata.
The explosion also damaged buildings nearby, shattering windowpanes and even bringing down the roofs of a couple of them. The explosion was heard kilometres away, local residents said.
The air quality started deteriorating rapidly from 7 pm. The AQI was 281 at 7 pm. It rose to 291 at 8 pm and further deteriorated to 294 at 9 pm and 296 at 10 pm, according to the CPCB.
As the name suggests, green crackers are said to be less harmful as compared to the conventional firecrackers, mainly due to the absence of barium nitrate, a toxic salt.
On October 9 last year, Supreme Court temporarily banned sale of firecrackers ahead of Diwali. It said it was an experiment to examine its effect on the pollution levels.