Diwali Aftermath: Delhi Chokes in Smoke, Hill States Face Toxic Air

AQI crossed 400 in Delhi NCR: The impact of last Diwali's celebrations was clearly seen on the weather and air quality the next morning. The air has become extremely polluted in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram.

The situation is serious in Delhi

• 36 areas of Delhi have been kept in the 'Red Zone,' where the air quality was recorded as 'very poor.'
• AQI around Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was 317, Dwarka 417, Ashok Vihar 404, Wazirpur 423, and Anand Vihar 404.
• Pusa's AQI reached 999. Due to increasing pollution, GRAP-2 was implemented in Delhi.

AQI data in key areas:

• Chandni Chowk: 500, Punjabi Bagh: 616, Shadipur: 399, Rohini: 424, R. Of. Puram: 500
• Ghaziabad Indirapuram: 285, Noida Sector-116: 309, Gurugram Sector-51: 271

Situation in hill states and other states

• Uttarakhand and Himachal: Nainital AQI 164, Dehradun 218
• UP: Light fog in most districts; weather will remain dry for next few days; cold may increase after October 22
• Bihar: The weather is normal, cold in the morning and evening, with bright sunshine during the day. The state is kept in the green zone.

Cyclone alert

A cyclone is forming in the Bay of Bengal. Possibility of strong wind and rain in Andaman-Nicobar and coastal areas from 21 to 23 October. A rain alert was also issued in many districts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Delhi | The Air Quality Index (AQI) around Chandni Chowk, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Rohini and Okhla Phase 2 were recorded at 326, 318, 372 and 353 respectively in the 'Very Poor' category, in Delhi this morning as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). pic.twitter.com/9cgydHUl2R

— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2025