The national capital witnessed alarming pollution levels on Diwali morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 384, placing the city in the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The situation was more serious across several parts of Delhi, where 11 out of 23 monitoring stations recorded AQI levels above 400, indicating severe air quality. The remaining 12 stations also reported readings in the very poor range.
Punjabi Bagh recorded the highest AQI at 450, followed by RK Puram at 449 and IIT Delhi at 446. Dwarka registered 444, while CRRI Mathura Road and Siri Fort recorded 425 and 423, respectively.
Delhi University’s North Campus and Chandni Chowk also reported an AQI of 423. Pusa recorded 415, Burari Crossing 411 and NSUT Jaffarpur 409.
Among other locations, Narela recorded 399, ITO 396 and Mandir Marg 393. Talkatora Garden and Aya Nagar registered 369 each, while Burari recorded 370 and Uttam Nagar stood at 373.
The readings highlight the widespread deterioration in air quality across the capital on Diwali.
