New Delhi woke up to the day after Diwali in thick grey haze. The city’s Air Quality Index is up to 370, almost in the ‘severe’ category. Other cities across India also celebrated a Diwali which was full of light but showed concerning signs of air pollution.A person looks at the India Gate as it is enveloped by smog. Photo: Minal Saeed Khan.People take boat rides amidst migratory birds flying over the Triveni Sangam engulfed in a layer of smog, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. Photo: PTI.People cover their faces amid a thick layer of smog as air quality deteriorates, in New Delhi, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. Photo: PTI. =A flock of birds flies past Rashtrapati Bhavan shrouded in a thick layer of smog, a day after Diwali, in New Delhi, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. Photo: PTI/Salman Ali.A person runs amid a thick layer of smog at Kartavya Path in New Delhi, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. Photo: PTI/Salman Ali.People burst firecrackers to celebrate Diwali, in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. Photo: PTI/Arun Sharma.Vehicles move along a road enveloped in thick smog caused by firecracker bursting during Diwali celebrations, leading to poor visibility, in Chennai, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. Photo: PTI/R Senthilkumar.An aerial view of Guwahati city illuminated with colorful lights on Diwali, in Assam, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. Photo: PTI.People burst firecrackers to celebrate Diwali, in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. Photo: PTI/Arun Sharma.People stroll amid a thick layer of smog, a day after Diwali near India Gate in New Delhi, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. Photo: PTI/Salman Ali.Security vehicles drive near Rashtrapati Bhavan, barely visible through a thick envelope of dense smog, a day after Diwali. Photo: PTI/Salman Ali.A person strolls amid a thick layer of smog at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. Photo: PTI/Salman Ali.Smog envelopes the India Gate on November 9. Photo: Minal Saeed Khan.