Delhi chokes ahead of Diwali: Toxic haze thickens as AQI breaches 300 in several areas

Delhi’s skyline disappeared behind a thick, grey haze on October 17, as the national capital gasped under worsening air quality just days before Diwali. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 254 at 4 p.m., firmly within the ‘poor’ category for the fourth consecutive day, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Several neighborhoods including Anand Vihar (382), Wazirpur (351), Jahangirpuri (342), Bawana (315) and Siri Fort (309 crossed the 300 mark, plunging into the ‘very poor’ zone. Across the NCR, Ghaziabad fared the worst in the country with an AQI of 306, followed by Noida (278) and Gurugram (266), while Faridabad stayed relatively better at 105.

Visuals from central Delhi painted a grim picture: the India Gate and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium were shrouded in smog, visibility dipped, and the sun struggled to pierce through the haze. Water sprinklers mounted on trucks patrolled key roads in an attempt to tamp down the dust.

The Decision Support System (DSS) estimated that transport emissions contributed nearly 18% of the city’s total pollution load on October 17. Satellite imagery further revealed stubble-burning incidents—20 in Punjab, 2 in Haryana, and 49 in Uttar Pradesh—adding to the toxic mix already hanging over the capital.

Meteorological conditions offered little respite. The maximum temperature settled at 32.6°C, about 0.6 degrees below normal, while the minimum dropped to 18.4°C. The IMD forecast a misty morning on Saturday, with pollution likely to persist in the ‘poor to very poor’ range through the coming days.

Health experts have sounded the alarm as hospitals report a rise in respiratory complaints. Dr. Sharad Joshi, pulmonologist, warned that Delhi’s worsening AQI is a “direct trigger for cough, breathlessness, chest pain, and fever—especially among those with asthma, COPD, or prior tuberculosis.” He added that while “green crackers emit fewer toxins, they’re not harmless,” urging citizens to avoid fireworks, carpool, maintain vehicle checks, and wear N95 masks when outdoors.

As Delhi braces for Diwali festivities, its residents are once again caught in the familiar choke of celebration and suffocation—where the festival of lights casts an ever-darkening shadow of smog.