Delhi, 21 October (H.S.): A morning after the festive lights dimmed, Delhi woke up to a heavy, grey haze blanketing the skyline — a grim reminder of the pollution that follows Diwali celebrations. Despite the Supreme Court’s two-hour window for bursting crackers, many residents continued the revelry late into the night, pushing the city’s air quality deep into the ‘red zone’.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi touched 359 at 11 am, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category. The AQI levels hovered dangerously high through the morning — 346 at 5 am, 347 at 6 am, 351 at 7 am, and 352 at 8 am, before inching further upward.

The air was thick, visibility low, and many residents reported irritation in eyes and throat, with a lingering smell of burnt gunpowder across neighborhoods.

As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 0–50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’.

Environmental experts have again sounded alarm over the annual post-Diwali pollution spike, urging strict enforcement of firecracker bans and long-term air quality measures.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar