Delhi's air quality plummets to 'very poor' levels

India Oct 23, 2025

Delhi woke up to seriously bad air three days after Diwali, with the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) averaging 325 by 5:30am.
Smog covered areas near Akshardham temple, making it tough to see far ahead.
Most neighborhoods saw AQI readings between 300 and 400, but Anand Vihar topped the charts with a worrying 511.

Bengaluru, Chennai had cleaner air

The spike came right after widespread reports of people bursting firecrackers despite a Supreme Court's stringent time limit.
While Delhi struggled with severe pollution, Bengaluru and Chennai had AQIs below 50—much cleaner air.
Ahmedabad and Mumbai were in the moderate range around 106, making Delhi's post-Diwali air crisis stand out even more.