What changed
Delhi’s air quality has entered the “very poor” category just days before Diwali, with the AQI reaching 377 on Wednesday morning. Authorities have activated Stage II restrictions, adding 20 weekday Delhi Metro trips, intensified road cleaning, higher parking charges and staggered government-office timings.
The Supreme Court has allowed certified green fireworks on 7 and 8 November, but only from 06:00 to 07:00 and 20:00 to 22:00 local time. Fireworks are also banned within 300 metres of hospitals, care homes, schools and other designated silence zones.
Why it matters
Delhi’s pollution problem is arriving at the worst possible moment: colder temperatures and weak winds are trapping pollution, while smoke from crop-residue burning in Punjab and Haryana is moving toward the capital. A recent storm briefly cleared the air, but that relief has already faded.
The new measures are designed to reduce several sources at once. More Metro services and staggered office hours may ease traffic, while road cleaning targets dust. Higher parking charges are a direct nudge away from private cars, though their effect will depend on whether people have practical alternatives.
Diwali adds a difficult test. Fireworks release fine particles and gases into air that is already unhealthy, and last year Delhi woke to a toxic haze after the festival despite limits on less-polluting crackers. Whether this year’s restrictions hold the AQI below the “severe” threshold of 400 will depend on both enforcement and the weather.
The rules offer a narrow compromise: fireworks remain permitted, but only in two short daily windows and away from protected sites. If smoke accumulates faster than it disperses, Delhi could move from “very poor” to “severe” air quality. If winds improve and the limits are followed, the city may avoid that line.
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