Delhi Air Quality Plummets to Severe Levels as Authorities Enforce New Restrictions

NEW DELHI — Air quality across the National Capital Region deteriorated sharply, entering the “very poor” to “severe” categories ahead of Diwali due to stubble burning, vehicular emissions, and low wind speeds.

According to central pollution data, overall air quality in Delhi-NCR was recorded in the very poor category on November 7. Out of 59 monitoring stations across the national capital, 18 stations registered an Air Quality Index (AQI) in the severe bracket, ranging between 401 and 500.

Live rankings from the Swiss air quality monitoring group IQAir placed Delhi first among major global cities on Saturday morning. At 10:35 AM, the US AQI scale recorded Delhi’s index at 581. Regional monitoring figures showed the AQI hitting 595 in Gurugram and 430 in Greater Noida. Concurrently, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) measured Delhi’s AQI at 363, placing it within the very poor category.

The deterioration follows an earlier temporary reprieve in October, when seasonal weather conditions driven by cyclone ‘Arnab’—which made landfall on the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha—brought strong winds and rain that briefly cleared the air in Delhi-NCR. Stubble burning has since added to the particulate load, with Punjab recording a seasonal single-day high of 194 farm-fire incidents on October 31.

The Delhi Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) estimates that air pollution levels will persist in the severe category through November 9.

In response to the worsening conditions, authorities have implemented GRAP-3 restrictions across Delhi-NCR, introducing targeted vehicle bans, construction halts, and school curbs. Officials have urged citizens to strictly adhere to the regulations and cooperate with containment measures.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court permitted the use of certified green crackers during specified time windows on November 7 and 8. A complete ban on firecrackers will come back into effect starting November 9.