Crackers unleashed, toxic haze cloaks Delhi

On Diwali night, Delhi experienced one of its worst air-pollution spikes since 2021 — the 24-hour average lined up at an AQI of 351, but real-time readings soared to levels equivalent to an AQI of 812.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) peaked around 785.6 µg/m³ across eight consistent monitoring stations—the highest since 2021.

In certain locations (e.g., Nehru Nagar & Anand Vihar) hourly spikes reached ~1,700 µg/m³+—nearly 29 times the safe limit of 60 µg/m³.

The rise in air pollution occurred despite fewer nearby farm fires than usual; meteorological factors (warmer temps, some wind) helped disperse pollutants earlier than in typical seasons.

Issues were also noted with monitoring: nine of Delhi’s 39 air-quality stations failed to record data during the worst hours (11 pm-4 am), raising doubts about data completeness and enforcement.

Though the government cited the small jump in the average AQI as evidence of safe celebrations, experts point to the measurements as a clear indicator that fire-cracker bursting remains a major pollution trigger—and highlight that the short-term relief was largely thanks to favourable weather rather than strong policy or compliance.

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