Air pollution spikes 200 times above WHO limits in Delhi during Deepavali

10 NOVEMBER 2026

As Delhiites burst firecrackers well past the 10 p.m. deadline set by the Supreme Court for Deepavali night, air pollution shot up to over 150-200 times World Health Organisation (WHO) limits in parts of the city, but fell through the early morning hours of Monday due to better weather conditions, show official data.
At the peak of pollution, following the bursting of firecrackers, crucial air quality data were missing from several monitoring stations managed by government authorities.
Experts say missing data on peak values of air pollution will artificially show better air quality than the reality.
Though the Supreme Court allowed only green firecrackers during fixed windows on November 7 and 8, traditional firecrackers, which are more polluting, were also available in the markets of Delhi.
PM2.5 (Particulate matter 2.5) are fine inhalable particles, which can get into lungs and bloodstream and lead to a range of respiratory and other diseases.
Meanwhile, Punjab recorded 1,152 stubble burning incidents on 8 November 2026— the highest this paddy harvest season, according to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute’s (IARI) daily bulletin.
The contribution of stubble burning in neighbouring States to PM2.5 (a chief pollutant) in Delhi was 5.1%, according to the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences data.