Delhi Suffocates On Diwali: AQI Hits ‘Severe’ Levels Despite GRAP Stage 2 Curbs

Highlights

   •  Delhi’s air quality worsened on Diwali, with several monitoring stations recording ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ AQI levels above 400.
   •  GRAP Stage 2 restrictions were enforced to tackle rising pollution as residents celebrated amid smog and haze.

Delhi ushered in Diwali under a thick blanket of toxic air as the Air Quality Index (AQI) deteriorated to ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ levels across several monitoring stations, despite the enforcement of Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
On Monday morning, AQI readings exceeded 300 in most areas, while Anand Vihar and Wazirpur stations crossed the 400 mark, falling into the ‘severe’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Out of 38 stations in Delhi, 24 recorded ‘very poor’ pollution levels on Diwali eve, highlighting worsening air conditions caused by firecrackers, vehicular emissions, and pollution drifting in from neighbouring NCR cities.
At 6 a.m., Anand Vihar logged the worst AQI at 414, while Sri Aurobindo Marg reported the cleanest air with an AQI of 158. Two stations were in the ‘severe’ category, 27 in ‘very poor’, and only two in ‘moderate’ or better ranges.
Following the sharp rise in pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) activated GRAP Stage 2 measures on Sunday evening. These included tighter restrictions on diesel generators, higher parking fees to discourage private vehicles, and limits on certain interstate buses.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court’s conditional approval for green firecrackers during Diwali—allowed between 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.—had limited impact on the capital’s worsening air quality.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported Delhi’s temperature on Sunday at a high of 33.3°C and a low of 20.6°C, both above normal for this time of year, with mist expected to persist through Monday morning.
Delhi continues to battle post-Diwali smog as authorities and residents brace for further pollution spikes in the coming days.