'Woke up to Delhi's AQI at 447': Vaani Kapoor advises celebrating Diwali without ‘dimming the air we breathe’

A day after Diwali, New Delhi woke up to thick and heavy layer of smog as the air quality deteriorated to the 'Very Poor' category.

Updated on: Oct 21, 2025, 16:38:56 IST

By Santanu Das

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Delhi-NCR is ringing in Diwali amid toxic air and anti-pollution curbs under the Stage 2 of the Graded Action Response Plan (Grap 2). Actor Vaani Kapoor is in Delhi to celebrate Diwali with her family, and raised concerns about the city's AQI on Tuesday afternoon. The actor took to her Instagram Stories to post about Delhi's worsening air quality.

Vaani Kapoor has highlighted Delhi's AQI amid Diwali celebrations.

What Vaani said

In her Instagram Stories, Vaani wrote, “Woke up to Delhi's AQI touching 447 one of the highest in the world today. Maybe next year, we find a way to celebrate without dimming the air we breathe.”

Vaani had talked about her Diwali plans with HT a few days ago. "I have planned a quiet Diwali this year with a few close people, home cooked food, and no social calendar pressure. I think the best way to celebrate is to keep it warm, kind, and mindful. light diyas, share sweets and happiness with those who may not get to celebrate the same way," she shared.

About Delhi's AQI

An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor and 401-500 is severe.

Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had imposed Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the National Capital Region with immediate effect on Sunday. The 'severe' air quality affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases, as per the CPCB.

The Supreme Court last week permitted the sale and bursting of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR during Diwali with certain conditions.

According to the SAMEER app developed by the CPCB, four monitoring stations had AQI levels over 400, indicating ‘severe’ air quality across the region. These stations were Bawana (431), Burari Crossing (404), Jahangirpuri (407), and Wazirpur (408).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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