Overview

• Multiple CPCB stations entered the ‘severe’ zone on Sunday morning, including Akshardham and Anand Vihar at around 426, while several others stayed in ‘very poor’.
• Delhi’s overall AQI hovered in the ‘poor’ range near 274, with NCR hotspots such as Loni (Ghaziabad) near 341 and Noida and Gurugram sectors around the ‘very poor’ band.
• The Air Quality Early Warning System and IITM project ‘very poor’ conditions on Diwali day and a possible shift to ‘severe’ on October 21 if emissions rise, with some relief possible from stronger winds on Tuesday, according to experts.
• Authorities are enforcing the Supreme Court’s green-cracker trial with time slots on October 19–20, issuing temporary licences, conducting patrols and inspections, and deploying water sprinklers at pollution hotspots.
• Health advisories warn of high PM2.5 (about 174 µg/m³ versus the WHO 24-hour guideline of 15), urging masks and limited outdoor activity, as official analysis attributes roughly 15.6% of Delhi’s pollution load to transport.