Air Emergency: Delhi Post-Diwali AQI Spikes, Firecracker Rules Flouted And Monitoring Data Gaps

Delhi and several parts of North India remained engulfed in toxic smog following Diwali celebrations, marking the city's most polluted Diwali day in five years. The average Air Quality Index stood in the very severe category, driven by a surge in particulate matter 2.5 levels that peaked well above permissible limits at multiple monitoring locations, including ITO and Dwarka. Firecracker restrictions mandated by the Supreme Court were openly flouted beyond permitted hours, coinciding with an…