India, Nov. 9 -- Delhi woke up to severely polluted air on Monday, November 9, after Diwali celebrations and firecracker emissions triggered a sharp overnight spike in pollution levels. The city's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 663 at 8:01 am, after touching a peak of 1,331 at 1:31 am, according to AQI.in data.

The readings are based on AQI.in's real-time monitoring and should not be confused with the official 24-hour AQI published by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The morning reading was nearly 69% higher than AQI.in's post-Diwali reading of 393 on October 21, 2025. The comparison points to a significant deterioration in the capital's air quality following this year's celebrations.

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A thick layer of smog eng...