Delhi's air quality continued to deteriorate, remaining in the "very poor" category on Diwali, with levels expected to worsen to the "severe" category due to bursting of firecrackers at night. Delhiites woke up Thursday to a sky shrouded in a thick layer of smog.
The air in Anand Vihar, a major terminus, was extremely polluted with the AQI in the "severe" category.
The city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index was recorded at 328 at 4 pm, up from 307 on Wednesday when the city celebrated Chhoti Diwali.
In 2023, Delhi residents enjoyed clearer skies and abundant sunshine on Diwali, with an AQI of 218, compared to 312 in 2022, 382 in 2021, 414 in 2020, 337 in 2019, 281 in 2018, 319 in 2017, and 431 in 2016, according to the Central Pollution Control Board data.
Last year, a decrease in stubble-burning incidents and rain before Diwali, along with favourable meteorological conditions, prevented the national capital from turning into a gas chamber after the festival.
The pollutant PM2.5 level was recorded at 145 micrograms per cubic metre at 3 pm, according to the data. -- PTI