Pollution concerns continued in the national capital on Wednesday morning as the city woke up to a thick smog, haze and lower visibility after Diwali celebrations.
The Air Quality Index fell in the ‘very poor’ category in most places, with some areas recording a ‘severe’ reading. The overall AQI of Delhi stood at 338, according to data available on the CPCB website, as of 8 am on Wednesday
On Wednesday, many areas in the national capital recorded AQI above 300. Here's an area-wise list of several areas of Delhi and their respective AQI.
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| Area | AQI | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Punjabi Bagh, Delhi | 433 | Severe |
| Wazirpur | 401 | Severe |
| Ashok Vihar | 382 | Very Poor |
| Jahangirpuri | 365 | Very Poor |
| Vivek Vihar | 361 | Very Poor |
| Anand Vihar | 353 | Very Poor |
| Sonia Vihar | 347 | Very Poor |
| Alipur | 320 | Very Poor |
| Shadipur | 320 | Very Poor |
| Burari Crossing | 306 | Very Poor |
Other than these areas, Sector 51 of Gurugram recorded an AQI of 394, Indirapuram in Ghaziabad showed 297 AQI, and Faridabad's New Industrial Town station showed an AQI of 258 in the Poor category.
Delhi records worst AQI in 4 years
This year, Delhi recorded the worst air quality on Diwali in four years, with pollution levels spiking sharply at night as PM2.5 concentrations peaked at 675, a peak not seen since 2021, news agency PTI reported. Delhi's 24-hour average AQI at 4 pm on Monday was in the 'very poor' category at 345. In comparison, it was 330 in 2024, 218 in 2023, 312 in 2022, and 382 in 2021, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board.
{{/usCountry}}This year, Delhi recorded the worst air quality on Diwali in four years, with pollution levels spiking sharply at night as PM2.5 concentrations peaked at 675, a peak not seen since 2021, news agency PTI reported. Delhi's 24-hour average AQI at 4 pm on Monday was in the 'very poor' category at 345. In comparison, it was 330 in 2024, 218 in 2023, 312 in 2022, and 382 in 2021, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board.
{{/usCountry}}As Delhi celebrated Diwali with fireworks, the pollutants skyrocketed. However, during the peak hours, the data of Delhi's 39 quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) went offline for hours, creating significant data gaps. According to analysis by HT, only nine stations recorded continuous data, covering barely 23% of the city’s monitoring network.
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On Tuesday, of the total 38 monitoring stations in Delhi, 35 were in the 'red zone', indicating 'very poor' to 'severe' air quality. This year, the city celebrated with green fireworks, as opposed to the previous years. Stubble burning also began in the neighbouring states, along with poor meteorological conditions in the capital.
While an AQI of 201-300 falls in the Poor category, an AQI between 301-400 falls in the Very Poor category and 401-500 falls in the Severe category. The severe category affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing respiratory conditions.