Overview
- Fireworks on Diwali night, Nov 8, produced rapid PM2.5 surges in many urban areas and IITM estimated firecrackers contributed about 41% of Delhi’s pollution load during the peak period.
- The Central Pollution Control Board put Delhi’s average AQI at 376, its worst Diwali in five years, while private platforms and some station-level sensors reported values up to roughly 1,500 because CPCB limits its reported index at 500.
- At least 43 of Delhi’s 59 monitoring stations recorded data gaps during the peak pollution hours on Diwali night, a failure that critics say likely underestimates the true citywide exposure and has spurred political accusations.
- Punjab saw extreme readings with Faridkot reported at an AQI of about 1,009 and multiple Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh cities in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ range, while Lahore registered hazardous levels before targeted anti-smog operations produced partial afternoon relief.
- Authorities activated GRAP emergency controls, anti-smog guns and enforcement against open burning, but experts warn that seasonal stubble burning, traffic and winter meteorology will keep health risks high unless longer-term airshed management is pursued.