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Delhi records a five-year high in Diwali pollution despite GRAP restrictions, with secondary particulate matter emerging as the biggest contributor
 "Delhi air pollution")
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The air worsened the day after Diwali in every year over the past decade except 2022 and 2026
Sneha Sasikumar New Delhi
1 min read
Last Updated :
Nov 09 2026 | 11:09 PM
IST
Delhi struggles with toxic air during Diwali, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) touching a daily average of 376 till 4 pm on the day of the festival this year. The air worsened the day after Diwali in every year over the past decade except 2022 and 2026. This year, pollution hit a decade high on Diwali eve and a five-year high on Diwali despite Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) restrictions being in force across the Capital Region (NCR). The Supreme Court permitted green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR for two days. The blame often falls first on stubble burning, yet the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) says it contributes less than 20 per cent to Delhi’s annual particulate matter (PM) 2.5. The biggest culprit is secondary PM, which forms in the air from reactions between gaseous pollutants. Delhi was the second-most-polluted city on Diwali, but it didn’t figure among the top-five polluted cities a day after the festival.
