Firecracker smoke triggers breathing trouble during Deepavali festival

UPDATE - follow-up to Deepavali pollution spike: how does it affect lung function and respiratory health? | Explainer: Just a few hours of breathing in firecracker smoke can bring on coughing, wheezing, or trouble breathing. This happens fast, especially for people who already suffer from asthma or other chest conditions. The damage does not stop with people who have past sickness records. Thick clouds of fine particles and toxic gases can upset the airways in any person who breathes them in.

Context

India's Central Pollution Control Board tracks air quality using an index that combines eight different pollutants into one number. This system helps show how dirty the air is and what health risks people face during high pollution times.