Delhi records worst air quality since 2021

Delhi recorded its worst post-Diwali air quality in the last four years Tuesday, with pollution levels spiking sharply the previous night as PM 2.5 concentrations peaked at 675, while the BJP government attributed it to stubble burning in the AAP-ruled Punjab rather than firecrackers.

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Delhi found itself enveloped in a thick grey haze and its air quality entered the “red zone” a day after Diwali, which saw cracker-bursting well beyond the two-hour limit (8 pm to 10 pm) set by the Supreme Court.

The city’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Diwali (Monday), reported at 4 pm, was in the “very poor” category at 345, compared to 330 in 2024, 218 in 2023, 312 in 2022 and 382 in 2021, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Hourly readings showed sustained high pollution throughout the night and into Tuesday morning, with the AQI at 344 at 10 pm, rising slightly to 349 at midnight and remaining above 350 from 7 am to 12 noon Tuesday, reflecting the worst PM2.5 levels in the last four years.