The fact that 8 Indian cities made the list of most polluted cities worldwide is an alarming sign for Indians. Air quality dips every winter in these cities, and most people blame Diwali crackers for the drop. There are many reasons why the air in big cities is deteriorating, but cracker explosions may be one.

The depletion of air quality isn't only caused by stubble burning and Diwali. Air pollution is a big problem in India and is affecting public health. All citizens should be able to get information about the air they breathe. We have to understand that air pollution is a regional issue.

In some regions of the country, people are exposed to unsafe pollution levels, and there are no monitoring stations to figure that out.

We wanted to alert you to other pollutants. One concern: the media and public seem interested in this issue only when pollution levels are "emergency" levels. Before it's too late, we should start monitoring air pollution.