New Delhi, Nov. 10 -- Despite the Supreme Court's restriction allowing firecrackers only between 8pm and 10pm on Diwali, widespread violations and bursting of crackers across Delhi resulted in an increase in the ambient noise levels at most monitoring locations to several times the prescribed guidelines. 19 of the 26 stations in the city recorded higher noise levels this year compared to 2025, according to a report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

The DPCC's assessment of ambient air quality during Deepawali 2026, showed that noise levels increased at nearly 73% of the locations where real-time noise monitoring terminals (NMTs) are installed. Only seven locations recorded a decline.

The highest noise level was recorded a...