Delhi AQI Nears Severe on Diwali Morning as Thick Smog Blankets Capital

Delhi's air quality remained in the 'Very Poor' range on Diwali morning, with the AQI near India Gate reaching 398 as smog blanketed parts of the capital. CPCB readings put Akshardham at 336 and Anand Vihar at 328.

The pollution spike came as the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) put Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) into effect across Delhi-NCR on November 6. GRAP is an emergency framework that tightens restrictions in four stages based on air quality and forecast conditions.

Saturday's sharp rise left Delhi at an overall AQI of 369. The city is entering Diwali under dense smog, tighter anti-pollution curbs and fresh health worries as winter conditions and festival emissions add to the burden.

Pollution Readings Across City

ANI visuals from Sunday morning showed hazy conditions at India Gate and reduced visibility in Akshardham and Anand Vihar. The India Gate and Akshardham readings were taken at 6:30 am, while the Anand Vihar reading was logged at 5:25 am.

Under CPCB norms, AQI readings from 301 to 400 are in the 'Very Poor' category. Any reading above 400 is classed as 'Severe'.

That left India Gate close to the more dangerous band. Akshardham and Anand Vihar stayed in the 'Very Poor' range, but all three locations pointed to elevated pollution across the city. The deterioration followed Saturday's citywide AQI of 369.

Saturday's Severe Spike

Saturday was worse in many pockets. Data from 59 monitoring stations showed 16 locations had entered the 'Severe' category. Another 29 stations recorded 'Very Poor' air quality.

The highest figure came from the area around IIT Delhi, where AQI reached 452. That made it the city's worst-hit location in the latest set of figures. Several neighbourhoods were already under a thick layer of smog before Diwali celebrations began. Visibility had already been affected in parts of Delhi ahead of the festival.

Air quality is likely to worsen further because of firecracker emissions, vehicular pollution and agricultural residue burning in neighbouring states. These factors are converging at the same time.

The festival has overlapped with the peak stubble-burning period. That has added to concerns over pollution levels in the capital as winter sets in.

Winter Curbs Begin

Curbs are already in force. Separately, the Delhi government began implementing its winter pollution-control action plan on November 1. The measures are meant to limit local pollution sources as air quality worsens.

Under the 'No PUCC, No Fuel' directive, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate cannot buy fuel. The government has also restricted the entry of vehicles registered outside Delhi that do not meet BS-VI emission standards.

CNG and electric vehicles do not face this bar. These curbs now run alongside Stage III GRAP measures across Delhi-NCR.

According to CPCB classifications, prolonged exposure to 'Very Poor' air can trigger respiratory illness. That risk grows when such conditions persist for days.

'Severe' pollution can affect even healthy people. It also poses significant risks to people with existing respiratory or other health conditions.