Delhi witnessed a sharp deterioration in air quality on Monday, a day after Diwali, as pollution levels reached the ‘Severe’ category in several neighbourhoods. Dense smog covered parts of the national Capital, reducing morning visibility.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer application, Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 376, placing it in the ‘Very Poor’ category.
However, several monitoring stations recorded severe pollution levels. Sonia Vihar topped the list with an AQI of 449, followed by Burari Crossing at 445 and Vivek Vihar at 441.
Jahangirpuri recorded 439, Delhi University’s North Campus 437 and Rohini 435. Other affected areas included DTU (431), Bawana (424), Chandni Chowk and Patparganj (418 each), and Mundka (413).
The deteriorating air quality has renewed concerns over firecracker emissions despite restrictions and Supreme Court directions. Firecrackers continued to burst in several parts of Delhi beyond the permitted hours.
According to an NDTV report, pollution levels in areas such as RK Puram and Nehru Nagar rose sharply on Diwali night. However, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s (DPCC) website reportedly stopped displaying live readings from several monitoring stations for hours, including those in Sonia Vihar, Mundka and Dwarka.
The disruption raised concerns over the availability of real-time pollution data during the peak pollution period.
Meanwhile, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra targeted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that a campaign was being run from his residence to malign Deepavali in the name of pollution concerns.
Official figures also indicated that pollution in some areas exceeded the World Health Organisation’s recommended limits by more than 50 times, following firecrackers bursting beyond the Supreme Court’s 10 PM deadline.
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