# India: Delhi chokes on most polluted Diwali eve in 10 years

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/india-delhi-chokes-on-most-polluted-diwali-eve-in-10-years/
- Published: 2026-11-08T07:53:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-08T08:24:28+00:00
- Original publisher: DW (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.dw.com/en/india-delhi-chokes-on-most-polluted-diwali-eve-in-10-years/live-79883248?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
- Topics: Asia, Environment, Science, World

## Key points

- Delhi’s Diwali eve air was the worst in a decade.
- The AQI reached 362, with worse conditions forecast.
- Firecrackers add to pollution from traffic and crop burning.

## Summary

Delhi recorded its worst air quality on the eve of Diwali in a decade, leaving the city shrouded in smog and reducing visibility. The pollution is expected to worsen during the festival, when firecracker use adds to existing emissions, renewing concerns about the capital’s recurring winter air crisis.

India’s Central Pollution Control Board recorded an air quality index of 362 on Saturday, classed as “very poor”; the previous worst pre-Diwali reading was 404 in 2016. IQAir ranked Delhi the world’s most polluted major city that day. Vehicle emissions and crop-residue burning in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana also contribute, while authorities had encouraged remote work and online schooling.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.