A thick blanket of smoke engulfed Delhi on Diwali night on Sunday as widespread firecracker bursting pushed air quality into the 'severe' category at 20 monitoring stations, leaving several neighbourhoods shrouded in haze and residents complaining of breathing difficulties.
The national capital recorded an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 371 at 10 pm, remaining in the 'very poor' category, even as pollution levels crossed the severe threshold at several locations. Streetlights appeared blurred through the dense haze, while the smell of burnt firecrackers lingered across residential areas as celebrations intensified.
Despite restrictions on the use of firecrackers, fireworks were reported from several parts of the city, including Pitampura, Burari, Mayur Vihar and Lutyens' Delhi.
The Delhi government had earlier appealed to residents to follow the Supreme Court's directions permitting only green firecrackers during specified hours.
An order issued by the District Magistrate (East) allowed the bursting of green firecrackers on November 7 and 8 between 6 am and 7 am, and from 8 pm to 10 pm.
However, residents reported widespread firecracker use in outer Delhi's Pitampura and Burari, with the intensity particularly high in Burari. Similar reports emerged from Mayur Vihar, Bishambardas Marg and parts of Lutyens' Delhi, where fireworks continued into the evening.
๐๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Of the 59 air quality monitoring stations that recorded pollution levels at 10 pm, 20 reported AQI readings in the 'severe' category, six in the 'poor' category and the remaining 33 in the 'very poor' category.
Sonia Vihar recorded the worst air quality, with an AQI of 463, followed by Jahangirpuri at 450. Burari, Alipur and Punjabi Bagh were among the other locations reporting particularly high pollution levels.
Sonia Vihar, Jahangirpuri, Punjabi Bagh, Burari, Okhla and Rohini remained in the severe category throughout the day.
The city's air quality had already approached the severe threshold by evening, with the AQI standing at 371 at 7 pm.
While roads across much of Delhi remained relatively deserted during the day, firecracker bursting began intensifying around 5 pm to 6 pm. As celebrations gathered momentum after sunset, smoke accumulated over residential neighbourhoods, worsening the existing pollution burden.
Several residents took to social media platform X to report deteriorating conditions, complaining of reduced visibility, a strong smell of smoke and breathing difficulties.
Delhi's average AQI for Sunday settled at 376, compared with 369 on Saturday, reflecting a further deterioration in air quality amid persistent smog.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as 'good', 51 to 100 as 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 as 'moderate', 201 to 300 as 'poor', 301 to 400 as 'very poor' and 401 to 500 as 'severe'.
๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ
The Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) has warned that Delhi's air quality is likely to deteriorate into the severe category from November 9 and remain there for the following few days.
Weather and air quality experts attributed the anticipated deterioration to unfavourable meteorological conditions, vehicular emissions, firecracker use during Diwali and the ongoing peak stubble-burning season in neighbouring states.
According to the EWS, a ventilation index below 6,000 square metres per second, combined with an average wind speed of less than 10 kilometres per hour, is unfavourable for the effective dispersion of pollutants.
Such conditions allow harmful particles to remain suspended close to the ground, particularly during the colder months when atmospheric conditions restrict the movement of polluted air.
PM2.5 remained the predominant pollutant in the national capital on Sunday, with firecracker emissions adding to the concentration of fine particulate matter.
๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for Delhi, the transport sector was projected to account for 19 per cent of the city's pollution on Sunday, making it the largest contributor.
Stubble burning in neighbouring states was estimated to contribute 3.5 per cent, with its share expected to decline marginally to around 2.99 per cent on Monday.
The figures indicated that vehicular emissions remained a major contributor to Delhi's pollution burden, even as seasonal factors and firecracker smoke added to deteriorating conditions.
With air quality forecast to worsen further, the capital faces another period of severe pollution following Diwali celebrations, raising concerns over the health risks posed by prolonged exposure to hazardous air.