The overall air quality in the national capital remained in the "very poor" category on Diwali morning with pollution levels plummeting further amid a ban on the use of firecrackers. A layer of smog wrapped the city while air quality deteriorated to "severe" category in some parts.
On Thursday morning, Dehli recorded an Air Quality Index of 329, according to the data by the Central Pollution Control Board as of 7 am. 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'.
On Wednesday, the city recorded an AQI of 307 at 4 pm, up from 268 on Tuesday, as per CPCB.
| Station | AQI |
| Alipur | 300 |
| Anand Vihar | 418 |
| Ashok Vihar | 269 |
| Bawana | 360 |
| Burari Crossing | 350 |
| DTU | 277 |
| Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range | 320 |
| Dwarks Sector-8 | 359 |
| IGI Airport (T3) | 303 |
| IBHAS, Dilshad Garden | 207 |
| ITO | 303 |
| Jahangirpuri | 393 |
| Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium | 292 |
| Lodhi Road | 287 |
| Dhyan Chand Stadium | 332 |
| Mandir Marg | 336 |
| Mundka | 371 |
| NSIT Dwarka | 302 |
| Najafgarh | 280 |
| Narela | 301 |
| Nehru Nagar | 350 |
| North Campus, DU | 335 |
| Okhla Phase-2 | 324 |
| Patparganj | 343 |
| Punjabi Bagh | 366 |
| Pusa | 307 |
| RK Puram | 382 |
| Rohini | 357 |
| Shadipur | 364 |
| Siri Fort | 324 |
| Sonia Vihar | 331 |
| Sri Aurobindo Marg | 282 |
| Vivek Vihar | 354 |
| Wazirpur | 397 |
*Figures according to Air Quality Warning and Decision Support System For Delhi, under Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology as of 6 am.
Several other major cities also recorded 'moderate' and 'poor' air qualities on the day of Diwali including Ahmedabad (136), Bengaluru (115), Chennai (190), Hyderabad (107), Jaipur (225), Lucknow (179), Mumbai (153), Patna (155), and Pune (125).
In a bid to minimise the use of firecrackers on the occasion of Diwali amid a ban on fireworks, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said 377 teams have been formed to enforce the ban across the national capital.
He also said that the authorities are in touch with resident welfare associations (RWAs), market associations and social organisations to spread awareness.
All deputy commissioners of police (DSPs) have been asked across the national capital to form dedicated teams to ensure that firecrackers are not burst in their respective districts.
"Legal action will be taken against those found bursting crackers. They may also be booked under the relevant sections of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) for violating government orders," he said, reported PTI.