Lahore’s air quality index reaches 234, ranking second in the world, according to IQAir data
Vehicles drive on a smog-shrouded road on the morning of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, in New Delhi, India, October 20, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Air quality in New Delhi, the Indian capital, deteriorated to dangerous levels on Tuesday, with readings the highest in the world, according to Swiss group IQAir, partly due to the use of firecrackers during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
India’s Supreme Court last week eased a ban on firecrackers in the city, allowing the use of “green crackers” for up to three hours on Sundays and Mondays, although Reuters witnesses saw firecrackers being set off outside the allotted times.
Emissions from crackers are 30-50% lower than those from conventional fireworks.
IQAir’s figure for New Delhi was 442, making the Indian capital the most polluted major city in the world. Its PM 2.5 concentration was more than 59 times higher than the annual guideline recommended by the World Health Organization.
PM 2.5 refers to particles measuring 2.5 microns or less in diameter that can be carried into the lungs, potentially causing life-threatening illnesses and heart problems.
The Central Pollution Control Board of India (CPCB) has also rated the city’s air quality as “very poor”, with an air quality index (AQI) of 350. The CPCB considers an AQI of 0 to 50 to be good.
Delhi is unlikely to get any relief in the coming days with the Ministry of Earth Sciences forecasting that the air quality will remain in the ‘Very Poor to Poor’ category with AQI levels between 201 and 400.
India’s capital and its neighboring districts are prone to thick smog every winter as cold, heavy air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from agricultural fires, leaving many of its 20 million residents battling respiratory illnesses.
In the past, authorities have closed schools, stopped some construction work and imposed vehicle restrictions to address the problem.
India is not the only South Asian country battling toxic air.
In Pakistan’s neighboring Punjab province, which shares a border with India, the government has implemented an “emergency plan” to combat pollution, which includes measures against farm fires and smoke-emitting vehicles, as well as the use of anti-smog guns in polluted areas.
The air quality in Punjab’s capital Lahore was 234, the second highest in the world, according to IQAir data.
“At present, the major problem is the air coming from Indian Punjab and other areas, which is affecting the air quality in various parts of Pakistani Punjab,” said Sajid Bashir, spokesperson for the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency.
