Overview
- The city’s average Air Quality Index stayed in the ‘very poor’ band the morning after Diwali while many local monitors recorded ‘severe’ readings above 400, with Sonia Vihar, Jahangirpuri and Burari among the worst-hit areas.
- Firecracker bursting on Diwali night added fresh PM2.5 to an already high pollution load from traffic, industry and stubble burning, producing sharp hourly spikes such as a DPCC report of about 761 µg/m3 at Akshardham for one hour.
- Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan remains in force across Delhi‑NCR, imposing construction and vehicle curbs, while the Supreme Court’s limited green‑cracker window was widely reported to have been violated in several neighborhoods.
- Forecasting systems warn that unfavourable meteorology—low wind speeds and poor ventilation—will likely keep air quality at very poor to severe levels for several days, sustaining acute health risks for children, the elderly and people with lung or heart conditions.
- Official networks and some private monitors released divergent figures, with certain private readings far higher than CPCB/DPCC averages, highlighting differences in instruments, station coverage and short‑term averaging that affect how severe the event appears.