"High vehicular emission, construction works or other activities may increase pollutant levels. The actual cause behind these can be identified by increasing AQI monitoring to a hyperlocal level," he added.
In the week before Diwali, barely 30 per cent of the cities were reporting air quality in the ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’ ranges. Mild rainfall in northern India helped improve the air quality at several places, but Diwali followed immediately after that.
The police on Monday said the violators were booked over three days, between November 10, when the HC issued the revised timings for bursting crackers, and November 12 during which 784 cases were registered.