Delhi Diwali 2026 AQI: Worst Air Quality in 5 Years

Delhi’s Worst Diwali in 5 Years: AQI Hits 376 as Pollution Crosses Danger Levels

Delhi has recorded its worst Diwali air quality in the last five years. On 8 November 2026, the city’s official average Air Quality Index (AQI) stayed at 376 for 24 hours, which falls in the “Very Poor” category. Delhi’s air was already unhealthy before the festival, and firecrackers made it much worse.

Delhi Ranked the Most Polluted City in the World

Before and after Diwali, Delhi ranked as the most polluted city in the world on a global air-quality tracking platform. The pollution did not start with the festival. Firecrackers pushed an already bad situation into a much more dangerous one.

What Different Sources Showed

Different monitoring systems use different methods, so their numbers differ. Here is what each one reported.

1. CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) – Official AQI (0–500 scale)

Before Diwali: 363, which is “Very Poor” Diwali night: 367, the worst level of the festival period

2. IQAir – Live US AQI

Before Diwali: 581, which is extremely hazardous Diwali night: 433+, and in some areas readings went above 1,000

3. Private Sensors (AQI.in)

Before Diwali: pollution was already elevated across Delhi NCR Diwali night: readings reached as high as 2,283

Note that private and low-cost sensors often read higher than official stations. They are useful for showing local hotspots, but they are not official government data.

How Other Cities Compared

On the US AQI scale, Kolkata recorded 196 and Mumbai recorded 156. Both appeared among the most polluted cities in the top-10 list. Besides Delhi, six other cities reportedly had readings above 1,000 on Diwali night.

Understanding the AQI Scale

AQI tells you how clean or polluted the air is. Under India’s CPCB scale:

0–50: Good 51–100: Satisfactory 101–200: Moderate 201–300: Poor 301–400: Very Poor 401–500: Severe

At 376, Delhi’s air was in the “Very Poor” range. At that level, even healthy people can feel breathing discomfort with prolonged exposure.

Health Tips During Severe Pollution Avoid outdoor exercise, especially early morning and late evening Wear a well-fitted N95 mask outside Use an air purifier indoors if possible Keep windows closed on high-pollution days Children, older adults, and people with asthma or heart conditions should take extra care See a doctor if you have persistent cough, chest tightness, or breathing trouble Final Thoughts

Delhi’s air was already unhealthy, and Diwali firecrackers pushed it into the danger zone. Most of the pollution came from burning crackers, but it settled over a city already struggling with polluted air. Real improvement needs steady effort from the government and from citizens all year, not only in festival season.