Overview
- Delhi’s 24-hour AQI reached 353 on Wednesday, with several monitoring stations entering the ‘severe’ category, including readings above 400 in parts of Bawana, Nehru Nagar, Jahangirpuri and Wazirpur.
- PM2.5 levels peaked near 675 micrograms per cubic metre on Diwali night, and several stations reported data gaps or likely instrument saturation during the worst hours.
- The Supreme Court allowed only limited use of ‘green’ firecrackers, yet violations were widely reported, and police registered more than 100 cases for bursting beyond set hours and over 50 for illegal sales.
- Hospitals reported over 250 burn injuries citywide, including 129 at Safdarjung Hospital, alongside a surge in respiratory complaints.
- Experts and official trackers cited low wind speeds and trapped local emissions as key drivers of sustained pollution, while BJP and AAP leaders exchanged blame over stubble burning and enforcement failures.