India, Nov. 8 -- Delhi woke up to a thick blanket of toxic haze on Diwali morning, with the city's average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 383, placing it in the 'very poor' category and close to the 'severe' threshold.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 24 of the city's 54 monitoring stations recorded severe air quality, while the remaining stations were in the very poor category.

Jahangirpuri recorded the highest AQI at 450, followed by RK Puram at 448. Several other locations, including Punjabi Bagh, Bawana and IIT Delhi, also recorded readings above 400.

The AQI reading marks a deterioration from Saturday, when Delhi recorded 369, compared with 382 on Friday. Under CPCB classifications, an AQI be...