📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Sumita Roy Dutta
Weather
Delhi’s Air Turns Toxic Ahead of Diwali as 18 Stations Record Severe AQI, AIIMS at 402
✍️ India Today
🗓 05 Nov 2026, 09:31 AM
👁 13
Ahead of Diwali, Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply, with 18 monitoring stations reporting severe AQI levels and the AIIMS Delhi reading soaring to 402.
Delhi’s atmosphere has become hazardous in the run‑up to Diwali, as concentrations of particulate matter spiked across the city. The latest readings show that 18 air‑quality monitoring stations have moved into the ‘severe’ category, indicating a sharp rise in pollutants that pose health risks.
The most alarming figure comes from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where the AQI reached 402, well above the national safe limit. An AQI above 300 is classified as hazardous, meaning even short‑term exposure can aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.
State and municipal authorities have issued health advisories, urging residents, especially children, the elderly and those with pre‑existing illnesses, to limit outdoor activities. Public transport is being promoted, and temporary bans on firecrackers have been reinforced to curb further deterioration.
Experts note that Delhi’s pre‑Diwali pollution levels often exceed winter norms, driven by vehicular emissions, construction dust and seasonal crop‑stubble burning in neighbouring states. The current episode underscores the need for stricter enforcement of existing norms as the festival approaches.
The most alarming figure comes from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where the AQI reached 402, well above the national safe limit. An AQI above 300 is classified as hazardous, meaning even short‑term exposure can aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.
State and municipal authorities have issued health advisories, urging residents, especially children, the elderly and those with pre‑existing illnesses, to limit outdoor activities. Public transport is being promoted, and temporary bans on firecrackers have been reinforced to curb further deterioration.
Experts note that Delhi’s pre‑Diwali pollution levels often exceed winter norms, driven by vehicular emissions, construction dust and seasonal crop‑stubble burning in neighbouring states. The current episode underscores the need for stricter enforcement of existing norms as the festival approaches.