Delhi wakes up to toxic air on Diwali morning; overall AQI 'very poor'

New Delhi: The national capital woke up to a layer of smog on Diwali morning with the city's air quality index (AQI) slipping into the "very poor" category, as it crossed the 300-mark. According to the SAMEER app by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi recorded an overall AQI of 339 at 9 am. Data from around 38 monitoring stations showed that most parts of the city reported air quality levels above 300. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 414, and Wazirpur 412, both being among the stations where air quality remained in the "severe" category. Several other locations, including Bawana (369), Pusa (371), and Ashok Vihar (394), also reported "very poor" air quality, while a few areas such as Sri Aurobindo Marg (165) and DTU (198) recorded relatively better readings. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 to 100 "satisfactory", 101 to 200 "moderate", 201 to 300 "poor", 301 to 400 "very poor", and 401 to 500 "severe".

Earlier, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR. The move came after the Sub-Committee on GRAP on Saturday reviewed the worsening pollution levels and forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), which warned of further deterioration in the coming days. Last Wednesday, the Supreme Court allowed the sale and bursting of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR with certain conditions, permitting their use between 6 am and 7 pm and again from 8 pm to 10 pm on the day before Diwali and on the festival day itself. Meanwhile, the city recorded a minimum temperature of 20.2 degrees Celsius at 8.30 am. The IMD has predicted fog mist in the morning and mainly clear sky later in the day. The maximum temperature is expected to be 33 degrees Celsius.