India, Nov. 9 -- Delhi's air pollution levels have surged following Diwali celebrations, with the city's official Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 483 on Monday morning, November 9. However, readings from private monitoring platforms have been significantly higher, with some locations recording levels above 1,000.

The difference has triggered questions about how air quality is measured and why government and independent monitoring systems are reporting such contrasting figures. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's AQI stood at 483 at around 8.10 am on Monday, placing it in the 'severe' category. Earlier, at 6 am, the city's average AQI was recorded at 366, in the 'very poor' category.

At least 15 monitoring s...