Delhi welcomed Diwali 2025 with dazzling lights, festive cheer, and unfortunately, toxic air. On Sunday evening, the city’s air quality slipped into the “very poor” category, prompting authorities to enforce Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-2) across Delhi-NCR.

Delhi’s Air Quality Turns Hazardous

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) in many parts of Delhi crossed the 300 mark on Sunday night, with Anand Vihar recording an alarming AQI of 414, which falls under the “severe” category. By contrast, Sri Aurobindo Marg registered the cleanest air in the city at an AQI of 158.

As of 6 a.m. on Monday, 29 stations in the city reported “very poor” air quality, four stations were in the “poor” category, and only one monitoring point

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