Delhi air quality hits severe category after Diwali celebrations
A thick layer of smog enveloped the national capital as the Air Quality Index reached the severe category following Diwali festivities.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi hit the severe category on Sunday, reaching 406, as a thick layer of smog engulfed the capital following Diwali festivities, according to The Indian Express. The smog reduced visibility in several parts of the city, particularly around the Inderlok area.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded severe AQI levels in Jahangirpuri at 433 and Chandni Chowk at 418. Other areas reporting severe levels included Mundka at 417, while RK Puram recorded 364 and Lodhi Road recorded 370. In the very poor category, Anand Vihar stood at 335 and Indira Gandhi International Airport at 301.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had invoked Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR on Friday. This measure includes additional pollution-control restrictions and intensified enforcement to curb emissions.
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra alleged that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal organised a campaign to target the Diwali festival and Sanatan Dharma. Mishra claimed in a post on X that leaders and paid celebrities would be used to bring in a targeted narrative.
The Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi forecast that air quality is likely to remain in the severe category on November 8 and 9. Experts attributed the pollution to vehicular emissions, Diwali celebrations, stubble-burning in neighbouring states, and unfavourable meteorological conditions.