Mohali residents celebrated Diwali with an extensive display of firecrackers, but the celebrations came at a cost to air quality, with the AQI in Kharar touching 1,119, Mohali recording 669 and Zirakpur reaching 578 on Jattvibeday night. These were the highest levels recorded in the three areas this year.However, air quality improved considerably by Monday morning. The AQI in Zirakpur dropped to 313, Kharar recorded 275, while Mohali’s reading came down to 258.Preet Kamal Singh, a resident of Ranjit Nagar in Kharar, said he was surprised by the sharp rise in pollution levels.”Yesterday, I saw the AQI level in Kharar was 115, but today morning it is 275. People need to celebrate by bursting firecrackers within their communities, and RWAs should take the lead in this. It will bring down AQI levels considerably,” he said.The district administration had permitted firecracker bursting on Diwali, November 8, between 8 pm and 10 pm.Meanwhile, the administration had designated only 15 locations across the district for the sale of firecrackers. However, crackers were reportedly readily available at local shops, raising questions about the implementation of the sale restrictions.