Delhi’s air quality plunged dramatically in the aftermath of Diwali fireworks, with a heavy layer of smog blanketing the city and most monitoring stations signalling serious pollution levels.

As of early Tuesday (October 21), most of the city's 38 monitoring stations recorded readings in the ‘red zone’, indicating air quality in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ range. The city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was around 451 in the early hours — well above the national average — with several areas, including Bawana (423), Wazirpur (408) and Jahangirpuri (404), reporting ‘severe’ levels.

Despite the Supreme Court allowing the sale and use of only green firecrackers between 6 am –7 am and 8 pm–10 pm, fireworks continued well beyond the permitted hours, contributing to the sharp rise in pollutio

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