The city’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 131 around 1 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) dashboard. (Express Photo)

A strong sea breeze gave Mumbai its cleanest Diwali afternoon air in four years on Sunday. The night’s firecrackers were still to come.

The city’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 131 around 1 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) dashboard. That’s lower than the Diwali afternoon reading in each of the past three years: 194 last year, 181 in 2024 and 149 in 2023.

But 131 falls in the CPCB’s ‘moderate’ band, which the board says can cause breathing discomfort to people with lung disease, asthma and heart conditions. It’s the fourth Diwali in a row the city has stayed in that band.…