Smog Settles Over New Delhi After Diwali Firecrackers
Heavy smog covered New Delhi on November 9, 2026, after firecrackers set off during the Diwali festival added to the city's already high seasonal pollution, Al Jazeera reported. On the morning of November 9, the Air Quality Index, a scale that measures how much pollution is in the air, rose above 350 in several parts of the city. Readings above 300 fall in the severe category.
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, was celebrated across India on Sunday, November 8. Despite fireworks restrictions, residents of New Delhi set off firecrackers throughout the evening, according to the same report.
Firecrackers are not the only source of the problem. Burning fireworks releases tiny particles and gases into the air, and BBC has described how these emissions add to pollution that is already present. Before Diwali this year, India's Supreme Court permitted only approved "green" firecrackers, and only under set conditions, during three-hour windows on Saturday and Sunday.
The situation had been deteriorating for several days. In the days before Diwali, toxic air pollution in New Delhi rose to more than 30 times the daily limit recommended by the World Health Organization, the United Nations health agency. Residents reported breathing difficulties and eye irritation from the hazardous air.
Severe air quality carries heightened health risks for the more than 30 million people who live in the city. New Delhi regularly ranks among the most polluted capital cities in the world. On November 7, the air-quality monitor IQAir ranked Delhi as the most polluted major city in the world on the eve of Diwali, Reuters reported. Delhi's Diwali eve was the most polluted in 10 years, according to DW and Yahoo News. Air pollution rose sharply after the official evening window for fireworks opened at 8pm local time, Yahoo News reported.
Authorities have also warned about impersonation. The Central Pollution Control Board, the national agency that monitors pollution, said some individuals were falsely posing as its officers or employees to enter industries, operations and construction sites for pollution checks, and to issue instructions or post notices. The board said it has not appointed any consultants and does not deal with consultants. It advised industries, agencies and the public not to act on requests, calls or directions from people claiming to be its officials or consultants, and to report such cases to its Chief Vigilance Officer and the Office of the Member Secretary.
