📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Jorge Royan
Weather
Delhi Air Quality Deteriorates, AQI Crosses 300 Ahead of Diwali
✍️ India Today
🗓 02 Nov 2026, 02:39 PM
👁 3
Delhi's temporary improvement in air quality following recent rains has ended, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) rising above 300. This sharp deterioration raises concerns about severe pollution levels ahead of the Diwali festival.
The brief respite from air pollution in Delhi that followed the recent monsoon rains has come to an abrupt end. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has breached the 300 mark, signaling a significant decline in air quality conditions.
This upward trend in pollution levels has extinguished the hope of cleaner air that had emerged after the rainfall. The sharp rise in AQI indicates that the atmospheric conditions have reverted to a hazardous state, impacting the health and visibility across the National Capital Territory.
The deterioration poses a specific threat as the city prepares for the Diwali festival. With the festival season approaching, there are growing fears that the already compromised air quality could worsen further due to traditional practices and increased industrial activity.
Authorities and environmental monitors are closely watching the situation as the AQI continues to fluctuate at high levels. The current scenario highlights the persistent challenge of managing air quality in Delhi, particularly during the critical pre-festival period.
This upward trend in pollution levels has extinguished the hope of cleaner air that had emerged after the rainfall. The sharp rise in AQI indicates that the atmospheric conditions have reverted to a hazardous state, impacting the health and visibility across the National Capital Territory.
The deterioration poses a specific threat as the city prepares for the Diwali festival. With the festival season approaching, there are growing fears that the already compromised air quality could worsen further due to traditional practices and increased industrial activity.
Authorities and environmental monitors are closely watching the situation as the AQI continues to fluctuate at high levels. The current scenario highlights the persistent challenge of managing air quality in Delhi, particularly during the critical pre-festival period.