Delhi air quality hits decade-worst levels on Diwali eve
The city recorded an average AQI of 369 on Saturday, the highest pre-Diwali pollution level since 2016.
The National Capital Territory of Delhi recorded its worst air quality on the eve of Diwali in ten years on Saturday, 8 November 2026. According to reports from Pragativadi, The Tribune and Urban Acres, the average Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 369, placing it in the very poor category.
The 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 4:00 PM on Saturday. This figure is the highest recorded on the day before Diwali since 2016, when the index reached 404. While the average AQI saw a marginal improvement from 382 on Friday, several monitoring stations exceeded the 400 mark that defines the severe category.
Monitoring data showed that 16 stations reported severe air quality, with the highest reading of 452 recorded near IIT Delhi. In Punjabi Bagh, PM2.5 levels rose from 208 to 593 μg/m³ within one hour, while Mundka reached a peak of 718 μg/m³.
Gufran Beig, founder of the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, stated that pollution is likely to increase due to regional emissions, firecrackers, crop residue burning and weather conditions. He noted that calm winds could prevent the dispersion of pollutants.
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) projects that the AQI may deteriorate into the severe category by 4:00 AM on Monday, 9 November 2026. The Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) has forecast that air quality is likely to remain in the severe category on 8 and 9 November.