Delhi’s air quality entered the ‘very poor’ range on Wednesday ahead of Diwali, and authorities invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to curb pollution, according to BBC World. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed 300 and stood at 377 that morning, the outlet reported.
The measures include more intensive road cleaning and higher parking charges, BBC World said. Delhi Metro added 20 weekday train trips, and authorities were directed to stagger government office timings, the report said.
India’s Supreme Court has allowed certified green firecrackers in Delhi and neighbouring areas for a limited period, BBC World reported. They may be used only at set times on 7 and 8 November. The court banned fireworks within 300 metres of hospitals, care homes, schools and other designated silence zones, the outlet said.
A Reddit post from the r/india top day feed, which carried only a headline and a short excerpt, reports that Delhi’s AQI hit 451 ahead of Diwali, with GRAP-II curbs enforced across the National Capital Region. The post does not give a time or a source for that figure. BBC World’s 377 reading is for Wednesday morning. The two figures may come from different times, but the sources do not say so.
Experts cited falling temperatures, slow winds and increased crop-residue burning in Punjab and Haryana as factors in the deterioration. Before the sharp rise, Delhi had recorded its lowest average October AQI in eight years. Last year, toxic haze was seen the morning after Diwali despite a court directive, the background material states, though it does not name a source for that account.
Diwali falls within days. The Supreme Court’s limited green firecracker window covers 7 and 8 November, and police are set to patrol sales areas and run QR-code checks, according to the reporting.
The main gaps are these. No second full news report confirms the Supreme Court order details or the Delhi AQI figures. Neither Delhi authorities nor the Supreme Court have issued a response beyond what BBC World reports. Enforcement results for the firecracker restrictions have not been reported, and the 451 figure remains unverified.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.