5 min readNew DelhiOct 22, 2026 06:37 AM IST First published on: Oct 22, 2026 at 02:03 AM IST

Dussehra celebrations triggered a spike in Delhi’s air pollution, pushing the city’s AQI (air quality index) to 244 on Wednesday. This is the highest in 100 days since July 13, when the AQI stood at 246.

Dussehra emissions, post-monsoon weather transition, pollution from vehicular emissions and rising farm fires have added to the Capital’s pollution burden, official data and experts suggest.