Delhi pollution levels soar to nearly 59 times WHO limit after Diwali fireworks

New Delhi, India's capital, saw its air quality plummet to over 58 times the World Health Organisation's recommended daily limit today, following fireworks for the Hindu festival of Deepavali, according to data from air monitors. The festival, celebrated by millions in one of the world's most polluted cities, exacerbated winter smog fueled by vehicle emissions, farm fires, and industrial activities.

The Supreme Court recently permitted the limited use of "green" firecrackers, which emit fewer pollutants, during Diwali celebrations. However, these restrictions are often disregarded, resulting in continuous explosions throughout the city. Around eight hours after the peak of the fireworks, PM 2.5 microparticles, which are cancer-causing, reached a staggering 879 micrograms per cubic metre in the Mandir Marg locality, as reported by the air quality monitoring organization IQAir.

Dense smog enveloped an illuminated residential area, captured from the Taragarh Fort in Ajmer on November 8, 2026, during Diwali. Authorities have recently imposed restrictions on traffic and construction in an effort to mitigate smog in New Delhi, a metropolis home to over 30 million inhabitants. Vehicles contribute to 23 percent of Delhi's winter pollution, while biomass burning, including farm stubble fires, accounts for 20 percent.

Industry, including coal-fired power plants, makes up approximately nine percent. The remaining 27 percent comes from secondary particles, which are formed when gases released by vehicles, industry, power plants, and biomass burning interact in the atmosphere. A 2024 study published in The Lancet Planetary Health estimated that 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were attributable to air pollution.