📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Rohit2301
Weather
Delhi-NCR Air Quality Deteriorates to Near-400 AQI as Diwali Smoke Triggers Stage‑3 GRAP
✍️ NDTV
🗓 09 Nov 2026, 03:46 AM
👁 17
The Commission for Air Quality Management activated Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan as Delhi‑NCR’s AQI surged to almost 400 on Diwali night, choking the region with dense smoke.
Delhi‑NCR experienced a severe air‑quality episode on the night of Diwali, with the Air Quality Index climbing to nearly 400, a level that classifies the air as hazardous and severely limits visibility.
In response, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Under this tier, authorities have ordered a halt to construction activities, dust‑generating works, and the operation of diesel‑powered generators, while also tightening restrictions on firecracker sales and usage.
Health officials have issued advisories urging residents, especially children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions, to stay indoors, keep windows closed, and use N‑95 masks if they must venture outside. Schools and offices in the most affected zones have been advised to limit outdoor activities.
The city’s meteorological department expects the smog to linger for several days, as low wind speeds and temperature inversion trap pollutants close to the ground. Continuous monitoring will determine when the AQI falls back within safer limits and when Stage 3 measures can be relaxed.
In response, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Under this tier, authorities have ordered a halt to construction activities, dust‑generating works, and the operation of diesel‑powered generators, while also tightening restrictions on firecracker sales and usage.
Health officials have issued advisories urging residents, especially children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions, to stay indoors, keep windows closed, and use N‑95 masks if they must venture outside. Schools and offices in the most affected zones have been advised to limit outdoor activities.
The city’s meteorological department expects the smog to linger for several days, as low wind speeds and temperature inversion trap pollutants close to the ground. Continuous monitoring will determine when the AQI falls back within safer limits and when Stage 3 measures can be relaxed.