Post-Deepavali smog envelopes cities as air quality plummets to 'severe' | In pictures

T hick smog enveloped several Indian cities on Monday (November 9, 2026), after firecrackers were burst late into Deepavali night on Sunday (November 8, 2026). Delhi’s air quality touched the ‘severe’ category, while Mumbai, Lucknow, Chennai and Hyderabad also recorded ‘poor’ or worse readings. A thick layer of toxic haze engulfs Delhi as people commute near Rashtrapati Bhavan, shrouded in thick smog during the early morning of November 9, 2026, a day after Deepavali.

The city’s 24-hour average AQI was 370, in the “very poor” category, at 9 a.m. People jog near India Gate, shrouded in thick smog, as Delhi’s AQI touched 404 in the ‘severe’ category at 4 a.m. on November 9, 2026, according to the CPCB’s live dashboard.

Burari Crossing recorded Delhi’s highest AQI on November 9, 2026, at 441, followed by Vivek Vihar at 437 and Delhi Technological University at 434. People walking near India Gate. Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is in force across Delhi and adjoining districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, following the CAQM’s decision.