Delhi air turns toxic after Diwali: AQI spikes to ‘severe’ (451 avg), GRAP-2 curbs activated. Health advisory, causes and how to check live AQI updates.
A day after Diwali celebrations, Delhi woke to toxic air as the average Air Quality Index (AQI) surged into the ‘severe’ range, with an early-morning AQI reading showing ‘very poor’ at 368 and a 24-hour average reaching 451 — about 1.8 times the national average. Thick smog reduced visibility across the capital and 36 of 38 monitoring stations recorded ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ levels, prompting authorities to trigger GRAP Stage 2 curbs in Delhi-NCR.
The rapid deterioration follows extended bursting of fireworks past allowed hours and is compounded by seasonal factors: lower temperatures, calm winds and crop-residue smoke from neighbouring states that together trap pollutants near the surface. Key pollutants driving the crisis are fine particulates (PM2.5 and PM10), which are known to increase respiratory and cardiovascular risk for children, older adults and people with lung disease. Search queries rising now include “how to check Delhi AQI today”, “Diwali pollution health advisory” and “GRAP Stage 2 do’s and don’ts”.
Officials have advised limiting outdoor activity, using N95 masks when stepping out, relying on public transport, avoiding open burning and regularly replacing air filters in vehicles. For live status, residents should monitor CPCB and local monitoring stations and follow city advisories for school closures or traffic curbs. To capture search interest, target long-tail phrases like “Diwali pollution Delhi 2025 AQI live” and “what is GRAP Stage 2 Delhi” alongside short keywords such as “Delhi AQI”, “smog today” and “air quality update”.
