Bhubaneswar, Nov. 8 -- Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) issued guidelines for Diwali celebrations and urged people to use green crackers and follow safety measures to prevent a rise in pollution during the festival.

The Board wrote to all district collectors and informed the state government about the advisory. Although the Air Quality Index (AQI) across Odisha is currently within the satisfactory range, the authorities are keeping a close watch to ensure that pollution levels do not increase after Diwali.

Niranjan Mallik, Chief Environmental Scientist at the State Pollution Control Board, said that the advisory was published in newspapers. He also referred to the Supreme Court's appeal to people to use green crackers instea...