Delhi's Air Quality Plunges to 'Very Poor' Levels During Diwali Celebrations with AQI at 345

Delhi's air quality worsened significantly on Diwali, with 34 out of 38 monitoring stations recording pollution levels in the 'red zone' on Monday, indicating 'very poor' to 'severe' air conditions throughout the national capital.

The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) in Delhi, which is reported at 4 pm daily, remained in the 'very poor' category at 345, higher than Sunday's reading of 326, according to official data.

Based on the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) SAMEER app, four monitoring stations had already reached the 'severe' category with AQI levels exceeding 400 - Dwarka (417), Ashok Vihar (404), Wazirpur (423), and Anand Vihar (404).

Approximately 30 monitoring stations reported 'very poor' air quality, with AQI levels above 300.

During the afternoon, 31 out of 38 stations recorded 'very poor' air quality, while three stations fell into the 'severe' zone, according to the data.

Experts predict the air quality will deteriorate further into the 'severe' category more extensively on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The CPCB classifies AQI between 0 and 50 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.'

Transport emissions contributed 15.6 percent to Delhi's air pollution on Monday, while other factors, including industrial activities, accounted for 23.3 percent, according to data from the Decision Support System (DSS).

On Sunday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the Delhi-NCR region.

This decision followed a review by the GRAP sub-committee on Saturday and forecasts provided by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).

On October 15, the Supreme Court permitted the sale and bursting of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR between 6 am and 7 pm and again from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali eve and the festival day itself.