Mumbai Diwali AQI down 18.5% to 172, Bengaluru to 129
Mumbai actually breathed a bit easier this Diwali, with air quality improving by 18.5% compared to last year (AQI dropped from 211 to 172).
Meanwhile, Bengaluru had the opposite experience: its AQI more than doubled over the weekend, jumping from 53 to 129, which is a noticeable spike compared to 102 at midnight on Sunday this year.
Deonar pollution surged to 426
Even though Mumbai did better overall, not every neighborhood was in the clear.
Places like Bandra East saw PM10 levels fall sharply after Sunday's highs, but Deonar's numbers shot up to 426.
On the bright side, Ghatkopar and Colaba stayed pretty stable.
Fireworks spike pollution 60%, Mumbai +1%
Experts say fireworks can make local pollution shoot up by as much as 60% right after celebrations, but they only add about 1% to Mumbai's annual average pollution.
So while post-Diwali smog is real, it doesn't stick around for long.