Delhi air pollution worsened sharply after Diwali celebrations, with the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 368 on Monday morning and several locations recording readings above 400 amid dense smog and sharply reduced visibility.
The deterioration followed widespread firecracker use across Delhi-NCR on Sunday night. The Supreme Court had permitted the use of green crackers between 8 pm and 10 pm, but celebrations continued beyond the two-hour window in several areas, according to the report. Conventional firecrackers were also reported to have been used despite the court’s directions.
Visibility fell to as low as 50 metres in parts of the capital. At 5.30 am, visibility at Safdarjung Airport was recorded at 50 metres, while Indira Gandhi International Airport reported visibility of 350 metres. Dense smog covered several parts of the city, including areas around Lalita Park, Asita East, Geeta Colony and the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway.
Central Pollution Control Board hourly data showed Delhi’s AQI at 371 at 10 pm on Sunday. Of the city’s 59 monitoring stations, 20 recorded pollution levels in the red zone. The citywide air quality consequently moved between the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories, indicating that pollution was not confined to a single neighbourhood.
By 7 am on Monday, Delhi’s average AQI stood at 368 in the ‘very poor’ category. Several localities, however, recorded AQI readings above 400, placing them in the severe range. The combination of high particulate pollution, stagnant air and low visibility affected the morning environment across the capital and adjoining parts of the National Capital Region.
The episode also exposed the operational difficulty of enforcing time-bound restrictions on firecracker use across a densely populated metropolitan region. The Supreme Court’s permission was limited to green crackers and a two-hour period, while the reported continuation of celebrations after the deadline added to the overnight pollution load. The report did not provide a separate breakdown of the contribution from firecrackers, transport, weather conditions or other sources.
Reduced visibility created an additional risk for road users and aviation operations. Images from eastern Delhi showed vehicles moving through dense smog near the expressway, while airport visibility readings indicated the scale of the atmospheric obstruction in the early morning. The supplied report did not mention any flight cancellations, traffic closures or additional emergency restrictions.
Air quality was expected to reach the severe category in Delhi on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the report. The next official air-quality readings and monitoring-station data will determine whether the deterioration remains concentrated in the post-Diwali period or continues across the wider NCR.
