Delhi chokes post Diwali, Centre wants immediate action

The national capital's air quality dropped to the season's worst on the morning after Diwali, but the situation was still better than the last three years, according to government agencies.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city's overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 345, the worst this season, at 10.30 am on Monday. It was 337 at 4 pm on Sunday.

The government's air quality monitor, SAFAR, had earlier predicted that Delhi's overall AQI would enter the "severe" category between 1 am and 6 am on Monday, primarily due to firecracker emissions, unfavourable weather and a significant spike in stubble burning.