These records mean that air quality is in the category of very poor, posing significant health risks.

Despite the ban on firecrackers, many residents celebrated Diwali with fireworks in the evening hours, contributing to the thick fog that blanketed the city in the early hours of Friday morning.

Firecracker pollution, added to the already difficult air to breathe in northern Indian territories due to weather conditions and seasonal crop burning in nearby states, is common in early winter.

Cities like Chennai and Mumbai also experienced fog and poor air quality.

Witnesses also reported toxic foam in the Yamuna River, a sign of high levels of pollution, as a result of the discharge of untreated industrial wastewater and effluents, resulting in serious risks to public health and the environment.

The situation prompted authorities to spray chemical antifoam to dissolve it.

In October, the authorities implemented the second stage of the Commission’s Gradual Response Action Plan for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Territory, to try to minimize environmental pollution.

jrr/arm/npg/lr