On the night Delhi most needed to know what it was breathing, some of its pollution monitors reportedly went quiet. The morning after Diwali, there was little need for a screen to tell the story: a dense blanket of smog covered several parts of the national Capital on Monday, considerably reducing visibility, particularly around Inderlok and other residential areas.

The city's average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 376, in the 'Very Poor' category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) Sameer application. That average, however, concealed far worse conditions at the neighbourhood level. Sonia Vihar topped the list with an AQI of 449, followed by Burari Crossing at 445 and Vivek Vihar at 441, as per a Pollution Dashboard.

Jahangirpuri recorded 439, Delhi University's North Campus 437 and Rohini 435. Other locations in the 'Severe' category included DTU (431), Bawana (424), Chandni Chowk and Patparganj (418 each), Mundka (413), NIH Narela and Punjabi Bagh (408 each), and the Commonwealth Sports Complex and ITO (404 each).

The hours nobody could see

The numbers have turned attention to the agencies responsible for tracking them. According to an NDTV report, pollution levels in several neighbourhoods had climbed significantly above prescribed limits on Diwali night, with R.K. Puram and Nehru Nagar, near Lajpat Nagar, among the worst-affected locations until 9 p.m.

The real-time monitoring system initially reflected a steep upward movement. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee's (DPCC) website then reportedly stopped displaying live readings from several stations for a few hours. The affected locations included R.K. Puram, Nehru Nagar, Mundka, Sonia Vihar and Dwarka, raising concerns over the availability of data during the peak pollution period.

Sonia Vihar's presence on that list stands out, since it was the most polluted location in Monday's readings. Live data is what allows residents to judge the air outside their homes, which makes any gap during the most polluted hours of the year more than a technical matter.

Rules on paper, smoke in the air

The episode has also renewed questions about the effectiveness of measures to curb firecracker emissions. Despite restrictions and directions issued by the Supreme Court, firecrackers continued to be burst in several parts of Delhi beyond the permitted hours. Official figures indicated that pollution in certain parts of the city exceeded the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommended limits by more than 50 times after residents continued bursting firecrackers past the court's 10 p.m. deadline.

The issue has taken on a political edge as well. Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra targeted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that a campaign was being run from the latter's residence to malign the festival of Deepavali under the guise of concerns over pollution. The report did not carry a response from Kejriwal or the AAP.

For residents waking up to another smog-covered morning, the larger question goes beyond the blame. Restrictions only work if they are enforced, and accountability depends on data that stays visible when pollution peaks.

With inputs from IANS

On the night Delhi most needed to know what it was breathing, some of its pollution monitors reportedly went quiet. The morning after Diwali, there was little need for a screen to tell the story: a dense blanket of smog covered several parts of the national Capital on Monday, considerably reducing visibility, particularly around Inderlok and other residential areas.

The city's average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 376, in the 'Very Poor' category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) Sameer application. That average, however, concealed far worse conditions at the neighbourhood level. Sonia Vihar topped the list with an AQI of 449, followed by Burari Crossing at 445 and Vivek Vihar at 441, as per a Pollution Dashboard.

Jahangirpuri recorded 439, Delhi University's North Campus 437 and Rohini 435. Other locations in the 'Severe' category included DTU (431), Bawana (424), Chandni Chowk and Patparganj (418 each), Mundka (413), NIH Narela and Punjabi Bagh (408 each), and the Commonwealth Sports Complex and ITO (404 each).

The hours nobody could see

The numbers have turned attention to the agencies responsible for tracking them. According to an NDTV report, pollution levels in several neighbourhoods had climbed significantly above prescribed limits on Diwali night, with R.K. Puram and Nehru Nagar, near Lajpat Nagar, among the worst-affected locations until 9 p.m.

The real-time monitoring system initially reflected a steep upward movement. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee's (DPCC) website then reportedly stopped displaying live readings from several stations for a few hours. The affected locations included R.K. Puram, Nehru Nagar, Mundka, Sonia Vihar and Dwarka, raising concerns over the availability of data during the peak pollution period.

Sonia Vihar's presence on that list stands out, since it was the most polluted location in Monday's readings. Live data is what allows residents to judge the air outside their homes, which makes any gap during the most polluted hours of the year more than a technical matter.

Rules on paper, smoke in the air

The episode has also renewed questions about the effectiveness of measures to curb firecracker emissions. Despite restrictions and directions issued by the Supreme Court, firecrackers continued to be burst in several parts of Delhi beyond the permitted hours. Official figures indicated that pollution in certain parts of the city exceeded the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommended limits by more than 50 times after residents continued bursting firecrackers past the court's 10 p.m. deadline.

The issue has taken on a political edge as well. Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra targeted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that a campaign was being run from the latter's residence to malign the festival of Deepavali under the guise of concerns over pollution. The report did not carry a response from Kejriwal or the AAP.

For residents waking up to another smog-covered morning, the larger question goes beyond the blame. Restrictions only work if they are enforced, and accountability depends on data that stays visible when pollution peaks.

With inputs from IANS