As Diwali lights begin to flicker across Delhi, a familiar grey veil is settling over the city skyline. The Capital’s air quality has dipped into the “Poor” category, prompting authorities to activate Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the first stage of emergency measures designed to curb pollution across the National Capital Region.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index stood at 211 on Tuesday, reflecting the steepest decline since June. Meteorologists blame slower wind speeds, cooling air, traffic fumes, and construction dust, worsened by smoke drifting in from early stubble burning in neighbouring states.
Under GRAP-1, civic bodies have rolled out a series of containment steps: mechanical road sweeping, water spraying, anti-smog guns, and dust barriers at construction sites. Open burning of waste has been banned, while eateries and roadside stalls have been asked to shift from coal and wood to cleaner energy sources.
Polluting vehicles are under tighter checks with the road ban continuing on diesel vehicles older than ten years and petrol ones exceeding fifteen, and diesel generators are limited strictly to emergency use. Offices, meanwhile, have been urged to encourage carpooling and public transport.
Forecasts from the IMD and IITM Pune warn that the city could slide further into the “Very Poor” zone as Diwali nears, reviving memories of past winters wrapped in choking smog.
The Commission for Air Quality Management has alerted enforcement teams across Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to monitor round-the-clock and remain prepared for an upgrade to Stage 2 if the haze thickens.
For Delhiites, the real celebration lies in clear skies and easy breaths. The call this Diwali is to light lamps, not fires, and let the glow of responsibility outshine the haze of pollution.
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