Diwali in Delhi marred by toxic air: Red zone restrictions imposed across several areas

Diwali in Delhi marred by toxic air, red zone curbs imposed as pollution spikes.

Delhi’s air quality turned dangerously poor on Diwali, with pollution levels rising sharply across the city. By 7:30 am on Monday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) hit 335, placing the capital in the “very poor” category, with most monitoring stations recording levels above 300.

The surge comes after the Supreme Court allowed the use of green crackers in Delhi-NCR during Diwali, within a limited time window. In response to the worsening air, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) enforced Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the region on Sunday, supplementing Stage I measures already in place since October 14.

On Sunday night, 24 of Delhi’s 38 monitoring stations recorded “very poor” air quality, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Anand Vihar recorded the most toxic air with an AQI of 417 in the “severe” category. Other hotspots included New Delhi (367), Vijay Nagar, Ghaziabad (348), Noida (341), Noida Sector 1 (344), and Gurugram (283).

Several areas reported AQI levels above 300, including Wazirpur (364), Vivek Vihar (351), Dwarka (335), RK Puram (323), Siri Fort, Dilshad Garden, and Jahangirpuri (318), Punjabi Bagh (313), Nehru Nagar (310), Ashok Vihar (305), and Bawana (304).

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that air quality may deteriorate further into the “severe” category on Tuesday, the day after Diwali, with temperatures ranging between 21°C and 33°C.

Along with Stage II GRAP measures, CAQM has directed implementing agencies to maintain strict vigilance on dust mitigation and compliance with pollution control measures. The Sub-Committee on GRAP reviewed forecasts from IMD and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), which warned of further worsening in the coming days.

Chief Minister urges use of green crackers

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta extended Diwali greetings while appealing to residents to use only green crackers, as per the Supreme Court order. Firecrackers are permitted from 6–7 am and 8–10 pm, with sales allowed from October 18 to 20.

She encouraged traditional celebrations, including lighting diyas, making rangoli, and sharing sweets. “This year’s Diwali is unprecedented for Delhi. While green crackers are allowed, we also celebrated a grand ‘Divya Deepotsav’ at Kartavya Path for the first time since independence,” she said on X.