Air pollution over 50 times WHO limit in parts of Delhi as people defy ban on firecrackers on Deepavali
The overall air quality of Delhi continued to be in the “very poor” category while many parts of the city continued to reel under “severe” air quality
As people in Delhi defied a Supreme Court-imposed 10 p.m. curfew for firecracker usage during Deepavali, air pollution skyrocketed to over 50 times the World Health Organisation's limits, according to official data. The level of PM2.5, a primary pollutant, in Akshardham reached 760.99 micrograms per cubic meter at 11 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, 2026, which is approximately 50.73 times the WHO's 24-hour limit of 15 micrograms per cubic meter.
Similarly, Anand Vihar recorded 767 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5 at the same time, about 51.13 times the WHO limit. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium had PM2.5 levels of 702 micrograms per cubic meter, roughly 46.8 times the WHO permissible limit. Despite the Supreme Court's allowance of green crackers for two days, the overall air quality in Delhi remained "very poor" with many areas experiencing "severe" levels.
Winter air pollution in Delhi-NCR and the Indo-Gangetic Plains typically rises due to lower wind speeds, colder temperatures, and additional sources like stubble burning and firecracker usage.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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