Chennai’s air quality deteriorates to ‘poor’ the morning after Deepavali

CHENNAI Chennai’s air quality deteriorated sharply after Deepavali celebrations as the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) slipped to the ‘poor’ category at 213 on the morning of November 9, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app. The deterioration followed a night of intense firecracker bursting, which caused dense smoke and reduced visibility across several parts of the city after 8 p.m.

on Sunday (November 8, 2026). Delhi's air quality slips into 'severe' category morning after Deepavali, AQI at 404 Delhi's air quality slips into 'severe' category morning after Deepavali, AQI at 404 Meanwhile, several other key areas in the capital continued to reel under the 'Very Poor' air quality bracket.

Rajiv Chowk clocked an AQI of 381 at 1:30 a.m., while the area surrounding South Extension registered an AQI of 360 at 4:00 a.m. Parts of Delhi slip into ‘severe’ AQI category morning after Deepavali; grey haze darkens skies storyline 1 Station-wise data from the CPCB and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), as of 9 a.m.