Delhi pre-Diwali pollution levels were highest in three years, study shows
· Scroll
Delhi’s air pollution levels ahead of Diwali were the worst in three years, showed an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment released on Wednesday.
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The average concentration of PM2.5, fine airborne particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs, was 97% higher in the week before Diwali this year than during the same period in 2025, according to the study.
The concentration of the tiny particulate matter stood at 236 micrograms per cubic metre in 2026, compared with 120 micrograms per cubic metre in 2025 and 179 micrograms per cubic metre in 2024.
Air quality deteriorates sharply in Delhi during the winter months. The city is often ranked among the world’s most polluted capitals.
The lighting of firecrackers during Diwali, along with stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, vehicular pollution, falling temperatures, decreased wind speeds and emissions from industries and coal-fired plants contribute to the problem.
Pollution levels typically peak during and immediately after Diwali, when firecracker emissions add to the existing pollution load.
This year, Diwali was celebrated on Sunday, amid worsening air quality in the capital over the past few weeks.
Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment, said that Diwali is an annual tipping point for pollution, but “elevated particulate levels before the festival...