Delhi Ranks as World’s Most Polluted Major City Ahead of Diwali

Delhi emerged as the world’s most polluted major city on Saturday morning, according to Swiss air quality monitoring group IQAir, as the Indian capital faced worsening pollution ahead of Diwali. The festival of lights, scheduled for Sunday, is traditionally celebrated with fireworks and firecrackers, which are expected to further deteriorate air quality. At 10:35 a.m. local time, IQAir recorded Delhi’s US air quality index at 581, nearly twice the reading of neighbouring Lahore, Pakistan, which stood at 285.

Authorities have taken precautionary measures as pollution levels continue to rise. The Indian government has directed schools in and around Delhi to offer online classes and encouraged employees to work from home ahead of the festival. India’s Central Pollution Control Board recorded Delhi’s air quality index at 363 at 10 a.m., placing it in the “very poor” category. Local media reports also described Friday’s pollution levels as the worst recorded on the eve of Diwali in eight years. IQAir and India’s official pollution readings use different measurement systems and are therefore not directly comparable.

Air pollution is an annual concern across northern India, particularly during the winter months. Cold and heavy air traps vehicle emissions, construction dust and smoke from agricultural crop-waste burning, increasing the concentration of harmful pollutants. The widespread use of firecrackers during Diwali adds further pressure on already polluted air. Authorities are urging residents to take precautions as Delhi prepares for another challenging period of hazardous air quality.

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