Delhi's Diwali eve air quality hits worst in 10 years at 369

AQI on Diwali eve reached 369, the highest level since 2016, with firecrackers contributing 41.1% of pollution.

By SafarSamachar Desk10 Nov 2026, 2:37 am IST

Illustration

Illustration: SafarSamachar Pix Desk, created with AI assistance. Not a photograph of the event.

Key facts at a glance

1Delhi's Diwali eve AQI hit 369, the worst in 10 years
2Firecrackers accounted for 41.1% of the total load on Diwali eve
3PM2.5 concentration on Diwali 2026 was 257 µg/m³
4IITM recorded its highest average PM2.5 concentration at 671.1 µg/m³ at midnight on Nov 8

Delhi's air quality on Diwali eve reached 369, the highest level since 2016 when AQI hit 404.

Firecrackers contributed 41.1% of the pollution load that night.

PM2.5 concentration on Diwali 2026 stood at 257 µg/m³, up from 201 µg/m³ in 2024 and 134 µg/m³ in 2023.

IITM recorded its highest average PM2.5 at 671.1 µg/m³ at midnight on November 8.

AQI readings that day peaked at 376 at 4 pm, the worst in five years; after Diwali it dropped to 370 at 11 am before easing to 344 by 4 pm.

The government has not yet announced new measures under GRAP-3, but further curbs may loom as pollution remains critically high.

What this means for Indian travellers

Delhi's Diwali eve air quality hit a decade-old peak, underscoring the urgent need for stronger pollution controls.

Sources

This brief was written with AI assistance from the reports listed above, following our accuracy rules; it has not yet been individually reviewed by an editor. Read our editorial policy.Rules and schedules change - confirm with the airline or embassy before you travel. Spotted an error? Tell us.