Delhi’s air quality deteriorates ahead of Diwali

New Delhi, Oct 19: On the eve of Diwali, the familiar haze has returned to Delhi’s skyline as the combination of falling winter temperatures, stagnant air, and a rise in firecracker use has pushed pollution levels to alarming heights.

For the sixth consecutive day, the city’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ to ‘severe’ category, India Today reported.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed the Akshardham area recording an AQI of 426, marked ‘severe’, one of the highest readings of the season. Anand Vihar followed closely with 418, while Barapulla and India Gate registered 290 and 269 respectively, both in the ‘poor’ range.

Delhi’s average AQI stood at 268 on Saturday, with nine of the 38 monitoring stations already in the ‘very poor’ bracket, reports India Today.  Areas such as Anand Vihar, Wazirpur, Jahangirpuri, and Dwarka continued to bear the brunt of the toxic air.

Authorities said vehicular emissions remain the city’s single largest pollution source, accounting for around 15.6% of total pollutants on Saturday, according to the Decision Support System. But the festival weekend, with widespread cracker burning threatens to worsen the situation further.