Delhi's air quality takes a severe hit every year around Diwali, with the city often turning into a ‘gas chamber’. Multiple factors contribute to the deteriorating air quality in the national capital and neighbouring cities during the winter season.

Farmers in Punjab and Haryana continue to set fire to leftover crop residue after harvest, releasing clouds of smoke that drift into Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), mixing with vehicle emissions, construction dust and garbage burning. Firecracker smoke during Diwali also worsens the air quality in the festive season during mid-October and early November, every year.

To tackle the rising air pollution in the city, the Delhi government unveiled a 25-point strategy, Air Pollution Mitigation Plan-2025, in June. The plan included th

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