The overall air quality in Delhi showed a slight improvement two days after the festival of Diwali. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the national capital recorded air quality in the "poor" category with an Air Quality Index of 294.
On Friday, the city's air quality was in the "very poor" category with AQI at 359 despite a comprehensive ban on firecrackers.
Several areas saw bursting of firecrackers including Lajpat Nagar, Kalkaji, Chhatarpur, Jaunapur, East of Kailash, Saket, Rohini, Dwarka, Punjabi Bagh, Vikas Puri, Dilshad Garden, and Burari.
An AQI reading between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 is considered 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 is considered 'moderate', 201 to 300 is considered 'poor', 301 to 400 is considered 'very poor' and 401 to 500 is considered 'severe'.
| Station | AQI |
| Alipur | 295 |
| Anand Vihar | 380 |
| Ashok Vihar | 325 |
| Bawana | 312 |
| Burari Crossing | 314 |
| DTU | 258 |
| Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range | 263 |
| Dwarks Sector-8 | 308 |
| IGI Airport (T3) | 341 |
| IBHAS, Dilshad Garden | 268 |
| ITO | 247 |
| Jahangirpuri | 301 |
| Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium | 284 |
| Lodhi Road | 238 |
| Dhyan Chand Stadium | 378 |
| Mandir Marg | 302 |
| Mundka | 286 |
| NSIT Dwarka | 294 |
| Najafgarh | 254 |
| Narela | 250 |
| Nehru Nagar | 250 |
| North Campus, DU | 228 |
| Okhla Phase-2 | 310 |
| Patparganj | 314 |
| Punjabi Bagh | 335 |
| Pusa | 267 |
| RK Puram | 346 |
| Rohini | 304 |
| Shadipur | 292 |
| Siri Fort | 305 |
| Sonia Vihar | 328 |
| Sri Aurobindo Marg | 233 |
| Vivek Vihar | 323 |
| Wazirpur | 321 |
*Figures according to Air Quality Warning and Decision Support System For Delhi under Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology as of 7 am.
On Friday, Delhi's pollution board claimed that the air quality index did not show any significant change this Diwali, even after many flouted pollution norms.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee released a report stating that the PM2.5 levels decreased by 4 per cent as compared to Diwali last year, reported PTI. While the PM10 levels, consisting of particulate matter that is 10 micrometres or less in diameter, increased by 11 per cent.
PM2.5 are fine particulate matter that can be inhaled which can pose a greater health risk.
However, data by CPCB claimed that Delhi recorded its most polluted Diwali in three years. On Thursday, the city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 330, compared to 218 in 2023 and 312 in 2022.
According to the report, most monitoring stations in Delhi mirrored similar pollution levels with 37 of the 39 reporting air quality in the 'very poor' category. However, various pollution control efforts implemented across the city avoided a severe spike, it added.