Delhi's Air Quality Crisis: Only 9 of 37 Monitoring Stations Functional During Diwali as Supreme Court Demands Answers

Nov 03, 2025 05:54 pm CST

The Supreme Court has learned that only nine of Delhi's 37 air quality monitoring stations were operational during Diwali, hampering pollution control efforts as PM2.5 levels reached 488 micrograms per cubic meter—nearly 100 times WHO safety limits. Despite regulations on "green" firecrackers and reduced farm fires, Delhi experienced its worst post-Diwali air quality in five years, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of current monitoring and enforcement measures.