As the festival of lights nears, Delhi and its surrounding regions are once again enveloped in a toxic haze. On Sunday, October 19, air quality across the National Capital Region plummeted to hazardous levels, raising serious health concerns just a day before Diwali.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 274 at 5:30 am, falling in the “poor” category. By 7 am, several parts of the city had slipped into the “very poor” and “severe” zones. Anand Vihar was among the worst-hit areas, with AQI levels touching 426, while Vivek Vihar (349), Dwarka (327), Ashok Vihar (304), RK Puram (322), Jahangirpuri (314) and Bawana (303) also reported “very poor” readings.

Other areas, such as Lodhi Road (221), Najafgarh (212), Okhla

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