A thin layer of smog engulfed the Delhi-NCR on Wednesday as the air quality continued to be in the ‘poor’ category amid the Diwali festivities.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality index (AQI) recorded at 7.45 a.m. on Wednesday was 273, which is in the ‘poor’ category. Several stations recorded AQI in the ‘poor’ category of 201-300, but some were in the ‘very poor’ category of 301-400.

The AQI level was 351 in Anand Vihar, 319 in Bawana, 313 in Jahangirpuri, 351 in Mundka, 308 in Narela, 326 in Vivek Vihar, 327 in Wazirpur.

In other areas of Delhi, the AQI level remained between 200 and above 300. It was 300 in Alipore, 290 in Aya Nagar, 289 in Burari Crossing, 267 in Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, 250 in DTU, 268 in Dwarka Sector 8, 274 in IGI Airport, 284 in ITO, 220 in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Lodhi Road. 239, 277 at Major Dhyanchand Stadium, 265 in Mandir Marg, 267 in Najafgarh, 251 in Nehru Nagar, 248 in North Campus DU, 220 in NSIT Dwarka, 277 in Patparganj, 276 in Punjabi Bagh, 285 in RK Puram, 289 in Rohini, 289 in Shadipur, and 273 in Siri Fort.

In the NCR cities, the air pollution levels were a little below that of Delhi — 172 in Faridabad, 197 in Gurugram, and 213 in Ghaziabad, Greater Noida.

The score remains 199 in Uttar Pradesh and 199 in Noida.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor, and 401-500 is severe.

Delhi suffered from similar air quality on Tuesday also with an AQI of 268. This, however, was an improvement from 304 the previous day.

The air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR have been fluctuating between ‘very poor’ to ‘poor’ levels in the past few days with stubble burning and firecrackers being major contributors. The absence of favourable wind conditions is also contributing to the high pollution levels.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has imposed a total ban on the manufacturing, storage, sale, and use of firecrackers until January 1, 2025.

The state government has deployed 377 teams to enforce the cracker ban in the city. Of these 300 are from the police and the rest from the revenue department.

On October 22, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) ordered the implementation of Stage 2 emergency measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to curb the city’s air pollution.

Under this phase of GRAP, additional efforts focus on tackling dust pollution and limiting emissions from diesel generators, a move aimed at curbing further deterioration. Authorities deploy mechanical and vacuum road sweepers, conduct water sprinkling operations on key roads, and intensify inspections at construction sites to enforce strict dust control measures.