A day after Diwali celebrations lit up Delhi’s skies, the national capital woke to a suffocating haze as the air quality index (AQI) plunged to a “very poor” 346 on Tuesday morning — with several areas edging into the “severe” category.

Despite the Supreme Court’s green light for “green” firecrackers this year, Delhi’s air deteriorated sharply overnight. As of 10 p.m. Monday, 36 out of 38 monitoring stations were in the red zone, with locations like Wazirpur (423), Dwarka (417), Ashok Vihar (404), and Anand Vihar (404) logging “severe” AQI levels, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board. Advertisement

Firecracker emissions, coupled with seasonal stubble burning and dense vehicle traffic, combined to blanket the capital in smog, turning popular areas like Bawana, Jahan

See Full Page