Representational Image
| Photo Credit: ANI
Deepavali night (November 8, 2026) in Delhi saw air pollution levels in the national capital reach alarmingly high levels after firecrackers were burst across the city well past the Supreme Court-permitted hours on the festival. The national capital is under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with multiple restrictions in place.
A row has now been sparked after senior Congress leader Ajay Maken flagged the non-availability of PM 2.5 readings at 25 of Delhi’s 39 air quality monitoring stations on the night of Deepavali. He pointed out that air pollution levels at the national capital’s nine stations reached 38.4 times the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 24-hour limit (as per available data)
Mr Maken, in a post on X, alleged discrepancies in the capital’s air pollution monitoring data, claiming that PM 2.5 readings in 25 stations were not recorded between 2 AM and 3 AM on the night of the festival.
दिवाली की रात 2 बजे: दिल्ली के 39 में से 25 स्टेशनों पर PM2.5 का आँकड़ा दर्ज नहीं
8 से 9 नवंबर की रात 2 से 3 बजे के बीच CPCB के data अनुसार दिल्ली के 25 स्टेशनों पर PM2.5 का कोई आँकड़ा दर्ज नहीं हुआ। ये उन 39 स्टेशनों में से हैं जिनका आँकड़ा पिछली दिवाली की रात भी दर्ज है।
इन 25 स्टेशनों का आँकड़ा इस घंटे दर्ज नहीं हुआ: Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Aya Nagar, Bawana, CRRI Mathura Road, Chandni Chowk, Dwarka Sector 8, IMD Lodhi Road, ITO, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Mandir Marg, Mundka, NSIT Dwarka, Najafgarh, Narela, Nehru Nagar, North Campus DU, Okhla Phase 2, Punjabi Bagh, Pusa, R K Puram, Shadipur, Sirifort, Sri Aurobindo Marg, Wazirpur।
जिन 9 स्टेशनों का इस घंटे दोनों दिवाली का आँकड़ा है, वहाँ औसत PM2.5 576 µg/m³ रहा, WHO की 24 घंटे की सीमा का 38.4 गुना। पिछली दिवाली इसी घंटे इन्हीं स्टेशनों पर यह 562 था, यानी इस बार 2.5% ज़्यादा।
शाम 6 बजे से हर घंटे का औसत PM2.5 (µg/m³):
शाम 6 से: 141, पिछली दिवाली 107 (31.5% ज़्यादा)
रात 7 से: 181, पिछली दिवाली 146 (23.9% ज़्यादा)
रात 8 से: 265, पिछली दिवाली 222 (19.4% ज़्यादा)
रात 9 से: 403, पिछली दिवाली 354 (13.8% ज़्यादा)
रात 10 से: 506, WHO सीमा का 33.7 गुना
रात 11 से: 515, WHO सीमा का 34.4 गुना
रात 12 से: 610, WHO सीमा का 40.6 गुना
रात 1 से: 597, WHO सीमा का 39.8 गुना
रात 2 से: 576, पिछली दिवाली 562 (2.5% ज़्यादा)
#Diwali2026 #DelhiPollution
हवा WHO सीमा से 38.4 गुना भारी, फिर भी 25 स्टेशनों का आँकड़ा दर्ज नहीं।
https://t.co/o05GCfErKr
He cited data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and alleged that PM 2.5 readings at Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Aya Nagar, Bawana, CRRI Mathura Road, Chandni Chowk, Dwarka Sector 8, IMD Lodhi Road, ITO, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Mandir Marg, Mundka, NSIT Dwarka, Najafgarh, Narela, Nehru Nagar, North Campus DU, Okhla Phase 2, Punjabi Bagh, Pusa, R K Puram, Shadipur, Sirifort, Sri Aurobindo Marg, and, Wazirpur stations were not recorded.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on November 9 over the alleged air quality data “manipulation” by shutting down of air quality monitoring stations.
“The government which shuts down air quality monitoring stations on the night of Diwali, the government that does data fraud, how will you trust such a government?” asked AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj in a video posted on X.
Delhi labour minister and BJP leader Kapil Mishra alleged that there was a “conspiracy” in AAP-governed Punjab to set stubble on fire in Punjab on Diwali evening, as per official data.
He alleged that 1,200 stubble burning incidents happened in Punjab on Diwali evening, which was 10 times that of previous days. “We got calls from farmers in Punjab that stubble is being set on fire. Someone is coming and setting stubble on fire and running away, when farmers are celebrating Diwali with their families. This is a very serious issue and a conspiracy against Delhi, Punjab, and farmers,” he said.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as ‘good’, 51 and 100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 as ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 as ‘poor’, 301 and 400 as ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 as ‘severe’.
Particulate matter, or particle pollution, is the general term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. A wide range of minute particles in the air can be seen only with an electron microscope. It includes sulphates, nitrates, black carbon, particle-bound water, metals (cadmium, copper, nickel, zinc) and hydrocarbons. In addition, biological components such as allergens (pollen, dust mites) and microbial compounds (fungi) are also considered to be particulate matter.
There are two sizes of particulate matter (PM), i.e. PM 10 and PM 2.5.
PM 10: inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10 micrometres (average human hair is about 70 micrometres in diameter).
PM 2.5: fine inhalable particles, 2.5 micrometres and smaller.
The fine PM2.5 particles (about 30 times smaller than a human hair) travel into the respiratory tract, settle into the lungs and can even enter the bloodstream, triggering immediate and chronic concerns.
Also Read: Which illnesses are attributed to air pollution? | Explained
PM2.5 and PM10 may both cause irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat, along with breathlessness, headaches, coughing and sneezing. In the long run, chronic exposure to PM2.5 could be fatal, as the particulate matter affects every organ in the body and exacerbates underlying conditions.
According to an open-source air quality monitoring platform, AQI.in, Delhi’s AQI, at the time of publication, stood at 208. The PM2.5 level stood at 132 µg/m³, and PM10 stood at 164 µg/m³.
The Air Quality Early Warning System has forecast that Delhi’s air quality is likely to be in the ‘severe’ category during the day and will remain there over the subsequent few days.
Unfavourable meteorological conditions, vehicular emissions and stubble burning in neighbouring states are likely to contribute to the deterioration.
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