Mumbai and neighbouring Thane witnessed a sharp deterioration in air quality on Diwali night, with pollution levels entering the severe category as celebrations involving firecrackers added to the concentration of pollutants in the air.
Live readings on AQI.in showed Mumbai's Air Quality Index at 278 at 9:34 pm on Sunday. The reading placed the city in the severe category, with PM2.5 concentration at 192 micrograms per cubic metre and PM10 at 232 micrograms per cubic metre.
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The situation was worse in Thane, where the AQI climbed to 298 at 9:39 pm, just short of the hazardous category. The PM2.5 concentration stood at 208 micrograms per cubic metre, while PM10 was recorded at 249 micrograms per cubic metre.
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The readings came hours after Mumbai recorded its cleanest Diwali afternoon air in four years. According to an earlier report by The Indian Express, Mumbai's AQI stood at 131 around 1 pm on Sunday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) dashboard. This was lower than the corresponding Diwali afternoon readings of 194 in 2025, 181 in 2024 and 149 in 2023.
The relatively better air quality was attributed to strong sea breezes that helped disperse pollutants. However, atmospheric scientist Gufran Beig, chair professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), cautioned that the situation could deteriorate after Diwali celebrations.
"Over the past 48-hours a wind reversal has taken place due to which the sea breeze is blowing at a high speed. This phenomenon has somehow controlled the concentration of pollutants in the air leading to the overall readings appearing to be little lesser," Beig told The Indian Express.
He had also warned that pollution levels could rise as firecracker emissions accumulated in the atmosphere.
Mumbai's pollution levels had already started deteriorating in the first week of October. On Diwali afternoon, 20 of the city's 26 monitoring stations recorded AQI readings above 100.
Bandra East (Kherwadi) recorded the highest reading at 195, followed by Shivaji Nagar in Mankhurd at 183, Bandra Kurla Complex at 173, Ghatkopar at 170, Chembur at 168 and Mazgaon at 133.
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The capital city Delhi's instantaneous Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 371 at 7 pm, placing it in the very poor category, according to data from monitoring stations. The reading came close to the threshold for the 'severe' category, raising concerns about a further deterioration in air quality after the festivities.
Of the 59 monitoring stations that reported data at 7 pm, 19 recorded 'severe' air quality, while 33 were in the very poor category and seven reported poor conditions. Jahangirpuri emerged as the worst-affected location, with an AQI of 460.
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