Delhi chokes after Diwali, city records worst air quality in 4 years as AQI drops to ‘severe’ in several areas; Punjabi Bagh, Wazirpur most polluted
Delhi’s air turned dangerously polluted after Diwali, recording its worst air quality in the last four years on Tuesday. Pollution levels shot up sharply on Monday night, with PM2.5, the most harmful tiny particles, reaching as high as 675. The BJP government blamed the spike on stubble burning in AAP-ruled Punjab, while others pointed to the heavy use of firecrackers during the festival. By Tuesday morning, the city was covered in a thick grey haze, and the air quality slipped into the “red zone.” Many people burst crackers late into the night, ignoring the Supreme Court’s two-hour limit between 8 pm and 10 pm.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Diwali was 345, worse than 330 in 2024, 218 in 2023, and 312 in 2022, but slightly better than 382 in 2021. Hourly readings showed that pollution stayed high through the night and into Tuesday morning, with the AQI around 344 at 10 pm, rising to 349 at midnight, and staying above 350 from 7 am to noon, making this Diwali the most polluted in four years.
Delhi AQI today, Wednesday
Severe Air Quality
- Punjabi Bagh – 441 AQI
- Wazirpur – 405 AQI
Very Poor Air Quality
- Ashok Vihar – 387
- North Campus (DU) – 363
- ITO – 360
- Mandir Marg – 343
- Chandni Chowk – 345
- Burari Crossing – 366
- Jahangirpuri – 371
- Rohini – 383
- Pusa (IMD) – 374
- R K Puram – 377
- Patparganj – 355
- Vivek Vihar – 365
- Anand Vihar – 364
- Mundka – 344
- Sonia Vihar – 352
- Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium – 347
- Shadipur – 324
- T (IHBAS, Dilshad Garden) – 384
- Major Dhyan Chand Stadium – 332
Poor Air Quality
- DTU (Shahbad Daulatpur) – 241
- Lodhi Road (IITM) – 241
- Lodhi Road (IMD) – 315
Nearby Region (Ghaziabad)
Firecracker sales went up sharply this Diwali, with traders saying business was much better than last year. Total sales across Delhi were estimated at around Rs. 500 crore, and the Sadar Bazar Association reported nearly 40 per cent higher sales than in 2024.
Despite the surge in sales, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) got fewer emergency calls compared to last year. However, hospitals were flooded with patients suffering from burn injuries caused by crackers.
More than 250 people were injured in firecracker-related accidents across the city. Safdarjung Hospital, which has the country’s largest burn unit, treated the highest number of cases i.e. 129 in total.
The DFS received 269 emergency calls on Diwali night, about 15% fewer than last year’s 318, which had been the highest number of fire-related incidents in the past 13 years.
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