Question

1. Delhi tried very hard but it wasn’t enough. In the run-up to D-Day, the sound of firecrackers had not been heard. The Supreme Court ban on sales had made procuring them difficult, but many people, including school children, had resolved to buck tradition for clean air. And till 7 pm on Diwali, most neighbourhoods were quiet. Around that time the first sound of firecrackers going off was heard, and gradually it rose to a crescendo. But it was nowhere near the blitzkrieg of the past, not even half of that. And well before midnight, it was all over.

2. The bad news broke at dawn. It was a visibly smoggy morning. Air pollution levels had peaked to “severe” on Diwali night and remained dangerously high till Friday afternoon as reflected in the real-time monitoring data of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

3. The CPCB, however, pointed out a silver lining. It said the air quality index (AQI) this year was better than the ones on Diwali in the past two years in spite of hostile meteorological conditions. On Diwali last year (October 30, 2016), the average AQI for the city was in the “severe” category at 426 while the year before that (November 11, 2015), it had been in the “very poor” category at 327. This time, it was marginally lower at 326.

4. There are so many factors impacting air quality – from the speed and direction of the wind to burning of crop stubble in neighbouring states – that it is difficult to definitively identify the main culprit. What, however, has to be acknowledged is that at least a majority of people have the will to stick to what may appear to be unpalatable decisions for better quality of life.

5 The data, however, is making informed observers worry-particularly the massive peaks in PM (Particulate Matter) 2.5 (fine, respirable pollution particles) and PM 10 (coarse pollution particles) levels on Thursday night after 10 pm. Delhi peaked to 656 micrograms per cubic metres around midnight.

6.However, the data also shows that in spite of unfavourable meteorological conditions, the air quality on Diwali this year was better than last year. It had not been so good in the two days preceding Diwali due to intrusion of humid air from the south-east coupled with prevailing calm wind conditions. The average mixing height (the height to which smoke or air will rise, mix and disperse) recorded on October 18 and 19 were 547 metres and 481 metres, respectively, according to CPCB. It should be at least 1000 metres for proper dispersal.​

Answer 1

Answer:

the band news that broke at dawn was that

Answer 2

The answer to the given question is as follow:

The bad news was that:

Following Diwali in 2016, the national capital's air quality deteriorated dramatically, and the city was blanketed in toxic smog. In November 2016, the Supreme Court intervened, prohibiting the sale of firecrackers.

However, on September 12, 2017, the court relaxed its order, only to have it reversed on October 9th, just days before Diwali this year.

What happened to Delhi's air quality during the Diwali season in 2016?

• The city's air quality had deteriorated at an alarming rate, with PM 2.5 levels reaching record highs in several areas.
• Particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres in size found in the air is referred to as PM 2.5. When inhaled, these microscopic solid particles and liquid droplets can penetrate deep into the respiratory tract and lungs, increasing the risk of cardiopulmonary diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, as well as leading to a stroke.