NEW DELHI, Oct 20: Delhi’s air quality plunged on Diwali, with 34 out of 38 monitoring stations falling into the ‘red zone’, signalling pollution levels in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ category across the national capital.

According to official data, Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI), reported daily at 4 p.m., stood at 345, up from 326 on Sunday, remaining firmly in the ‘very poor’ range.

Data from the SAMEER app of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that four locations — Dwarka (417), Ashok Vihar (404), Wazirpur (423), and Anand Vihar (404) — breached the ‘severe’ mark with AQI levels above 400. Around 30 stations reported ‘very poor’ air quality, recording AQI readings above 300.

By Monday afternoon, 31 of the 38 stations were in the ‘very poor’ zone, while

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