The facts

  1. The New Indian Express, citing ANI, reported a CPCB city AQI reading of 483 at 8:10 a.m. on Diwali morning, 8 November. [1]

  2. India Today reported a separate AQI reading of 384 at 6 a.m. and said 11 of 23 monitoring stations were above 400. [2]

  3. The Commission for Air Quality Management’s 6 November order invoked Stage III measures in Delhi-NCR as air quality worsened. [3]

  4. AP reported that the AQI exceeded 350 in several parts of Delhi on Monday morning, 9 November, with thick smog after Diwali. [4]

  5. Business Standard, citing CPCB real-time data, reported a city AQI of 368 at 7 a.m. on 9 November; 15 of the 54 stations reporting valid data exceeded 400. [5]

  6. Indian Express reported a separate city-average AQI of 370 at 9:05 a.m. on 9 November, with eight stations above 400. This later reading is not merged with the 7 a.m. CPCB snapshot. [6]

  7. The reports give separate time-stamped readings: 8 November measurements of 483 at 8:10 a.m. and 384 at 6 a.m., followed by the 9 November 7 a.m. and 9:05 a.m. readings. They do not establish one concurrent city value. [1][2][5][6]

Still unconfirmed

  • The monitoring reports do not establish individual health outcomes or quantify the separate contributions of fireworks, crop-residue burning, weather, vehicles and other pollution sources.

Corrections & updates

Substantive update, 9 November: Added AP’s report of AQI above 350 in several parts of Delhi, Business Standard’s CPCB 7 a.m. city reading of 368 with 15 of 54 stations above 400, and Indian Express’s separate 9:05 a.m. average of 370 with eight stations above 400. The reports use different observation times; no single concurrent reading or individual health outcome is inferred.

Sources

References support the numbered facts above. Source checks: 9 Nov 2026, 12:54 UTC.

  1. Delhi’s AQI plunges to 483 on Diwali morning, several areas record severe pollution

    The New Indian Express · Reporting · 8 Nov 2026

    Opened the 8 November report; it attributes the 8:10 a.m. CPCB city reading of 483 to ANI.

  2. Delhi air pollution: AQI severe on Diwali as GRAP stage 3 restrictions continue

    India Today · Reporting · 8 Nov 2026

    Opened the 8 November report: it gives a distinct 6 a.m. AQI reading of 384 and reports 11 of 23 stations above 400.

  3. CAQM invokes Stage III measures under the Graded Response Action Plan in Delhi-NCR

    Commission for Air Quality Management · Primary source · 6 Nov 2026

    Opened the Commission’s 6 November primary order invoking Stage III restrictions.

  4. Smog blankets New Delhi after Diwali fireworks light up the sky

    The Associated Press · Reporting · 9 Nov 2026

    Opened AP’s 9 November report. It says AQI exceeded 350 in several parts of Delhi and describes thick smog after Diwali.

  5. Delhi’s post-Diwali air remains ‘very poor’; 15 locations record severe AQI

    Business Standard · Reporting · 9 Nov 2026

    Opened the 9 November report; citing CPCB real-time data, it gives a city AQI of 368 at 7 a.m. and 15 of 54 stations above 400.

  6. Delhi AQI today: Air pollution after Diwali, yesterday’s AQI and latest updates

    The Indian Express · Reporting · 9 Nov 2026

    Opened the 9 November report; it gives a separate CPCB city average of 370 at 9:05 a.m. and reports eight stations above 400.

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