Delhi Air Pollution Reaches Five-Year High
Delhi Air Pollution hit record levels after Diwali 2025. At the beginning of the day, Delhi witnessed a toxic haze, post-Diwali 2025. The Air Quality Index was at its worst in 5 years. Although the number of stubble burning incidents fell by 77.5%, the city’s average PM2.5 rose to 488 micrograms per cubic meter. That number is approximately 100 times more than the WHO’s safety threshold.
The green crackers, it seems, did not work at all in not contributing to pollution after all. Dr. S.K. Dhaka from Rajdhani College quoted the CPCB, which reported PM2.5 rose by 212% after Diwali night. Also, PM2.5 averaged 328 in 2024, 312 in 2022, and 218 in 203, which were all better average AQI figures than 2025.
Local Causes Worsened Delhi Air Pollution
Experts reiterated that pollution was largely a localized source. “The pollution is local,” cited Dr. S.K. Dhaka of Rajdhani College. “The green crackers catalyzed particulate matter very quickly. We need to test their quality.”
Wind speeds continued to fall below one metre per second, trapping pollution near the ground. Temperatures plummeted following Diwali, which made matters even worse. According to scientists at Climate Trends, PM2.5 rose from 156.6 before Diwali to 488 after Diwali, with the highest reading at 675 micrograms per cubic meter.
Impact of Stubble Burning Was Minimal
Floods in Punjab and Haryana that came before this reduced stubble burning by 77.5%, yet pollution in Delhi stayed extremely high during this time. After determining that local emissions from vehicles, factories, and dust were the main contributors to the smog, researchers concluded that stubble burning and factors from rural areas were likely not a problem.
A study also found that PM2.5 decreased by 15.5% in October due to decreased farm fires, but the pollution levels above the danger level remained. Experts stated that this demonstrates that the air pollution in Delhi results from the urban aspects of pollution, such as vehicles and firecrackers, in the local region as opposed to outside the city.
Health Risks and Need for Rapid Action with Reforms
According to the director of Climate Trends, Aarti Khosla, the result is “very disappointing,” and everyone forgets about the damage firecrackers do every year. Pollution severely affects children, older people, and people with asthma and respiratory issues.
Experts have stated that none of the categories of firecrackers should be permitted in inclement weather. They are also requesting strategies for vehicle, industry, and festival emissions that would last beyond the weather. Unless strong measures are put in place, residents of Delhi will continue to poison themselves annually with the low quality of air.
Next Steps for Delhi:
Delhi must begin to focus on public messaging and green practices. All parties need continued and concurrent work to see results. The failure of green crackers shows us that half measures will not alleviate the chronic problem of pollution.
Delhi requires consequential enforcement and green holidays to combat another crisis to the public’s health. Eco-friendly Diwalis can save lives as well as clear our skies.
For detailed data on air quality and pollution trends, visit the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) official website
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