New Delhi woke up on Tuesday to thick smog and reduced visibility as the city’s air quality plummeted to “very poor” levels following widespread violations of the Supreme Court’s Diwali firecracker curbs.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 359 at 11 am, remaining in the “very poor” category throughout the morning. Of 38 monitoring stations, 35 recorded red-zone levels, including four in the “severe” range — Jahangirpuri (409), Wazirpur (408), Bawana (432), and Burari (405).
Environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari called it a “wake-up call,” warning that the smog was “choking children’s lungs.” She added that respiratory infections already account for nearly 70% of communicable diseases in India.
Despite the Supreme Court’s October 15 order allowing only “green firecrackers” between 8 pm and 10 pm, many residents burst fireworks late into the night. On Monday, 36 of Delhi’s 38 monitoring stations had already reported pollution levels in the “red zone.”
The city’s 24-hour average AQI on Monday stood at 345, and experts warned that the air quality is likely to worsen, slipping into the “severe” category across most areas on Tuesday and Wednesday.
