Delhi's average AQI hits 376 on Diwali day, in 'very poor' range

Delhi's average Air Quality Index (AQI), the official scale of air pollution, stood at 376 on Diwali day, 8 November 2026. That placed the Indian capital in the 'very poor' category, a level at which prolonged exposure can cause breathing problems even in healthy people. The reading was up from 369 the day before.

The worsening came as the city entered its annual winter pollution season. Cold, still air in the Indo-Gangetic plain traps pollutants from vehicles, construction dust, and smoke from farm-stubble burning in neighbouring states. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, adds to the load because of fireworks and crackers, which release fine particles and toxic gases.

The figures mattered because they showed air quality was already deteriorating before the main night of celebrations, leaving little room for further pollution. Delhi has long restricted firecrackers on health grounds, but enforcement and compliance have often been uneven. The reading set the baseline against which the air on the morning after Diwali was judged.