New Delhi: Delhi was blanketed in a smoky haze on Diwali night as celebrations intensified across the capital, pushing air quality at 20 monitoring stations into the 'severe' category, with the overall Air Quality Index standing at 371 at 10 pm.
The haze grew denser as the evening progressed, with smoke from firecrackers hanging over roads and residential neighbourhoods. The smell of burnt crackers lingered in the air, while visibility dropped in several parts of the capital and residents reported difficulty breathing.
Despite restrictions on bursting firecrackers, several parts of Delhi continued to witness their use on Sunday evening, with reports of fireworks emerging from areas, including Pitampura, Burari, Mayur Vihar and parts of Lutyens' Delhi.
Of the 59 monitoring stations that recorded data at 10 pm, 20 recorded AQI in the 'severe' category, six in the 'poor' category and the remaining 33 in the 'very poor' category.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as 'good', 51 and 100 as 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 as 'moderate', 201 and 300 as 'poor', 301 and 400 as 'very poor', and 401 and 500 as 'severe'.
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 areas recording high pollution levels.
Sonia Vihar, Jahangirpuri, Punjabi Bagh, Burari, Okhla and Rohini were among the monitoring stations that remained in the 'severe' category throughout the day.
The city's air quality had already been close to the 'severe' threshold in the evening, with the AQI standing at 371 at 7 pm.
While roads across much of the capital remained relatively deserted during the day, firecracker bursting picked up from around 5-6 pm, with celebrations gathering pace as night fell. As the cracker-bursting continued, smoke accumulated over several neighbourhoods, adding to the existing pollution burden.
Several social media users took to X to report smelling smoke and experiencing hazy conditions across different parts of the city, with some even flagging reduced visibility as celebrations gathered pace.
#WATCH | Delhi | Air Quality Index (AQI) around AIIMS is 421, categorised as 'Severe', as per the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board). (Visuals shot at 07:19 am) https://t.co/GjUNOlIcsN
According to the Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi, the air quality is likely to remain in the 'severe' category from November 9 for the subsequent few days.
Weather and air quality experts have attributed the anticipated deterioration to firecrackers, vehicular emissions and the ongoing peak period of stubble burning in neighbouring states, with unfavourable meteorological conditions further aggravating the situation.
According to the EWS, a ventilation index below 6,000 square metres per second, coupled with an average wind speed of less than 10 kilometres per hour, is unfavourable for the effective dispersion of pollutants.
PM 2.5 was the predominant pollutant in the national capital on Sunday, with emissions from firecrackers adding to the levels of particulate matter.
According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for Delhi, the transport sector was set to be the largest contributor to the city's pollution on Sunday, accounting for 19 per cent.
Stubble burning was set to contribute 3.5 per cent on Sunday, with forecasts suggesting the contribution might remain around 2.99 per cent on Monday.