Delhi ushered in Diwali under a thick blanket of toxic air as the Air Quality Index (AQI) deteriorated to ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ levels across several monitoring stations, despite the enforcement of Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). On Monday morning, AQI readings exceeded 300 in most areas, while Anand Vihar and Wazirpur stations crossed the 400 mark, falling into the ‘severe’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Out of 38 stations in Delhi, 24 recorded ‘very poor’ pollution levels on Diwali eve, highlighting worsening air conditions caused by firecrackers, vehicular emissions, and pollution drifting in from neighbouring NCR cities. At 6 a.m., Anand Vihar logged the worst AQI at 414, while Sri Aurobindo Marg reported the clean

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