Thick smog engulfs Mumbai post-Diwali, AQI drops to 'poor' category

The air quality index (AQI) in Mumbai was recorded at 300 and stood in the 'poor' category, as people celebrated Diwali and burst firecrackers.

An early morning video shared by news agency ANI on Wednesday showed a thick smog layer in the Bandra area of the city.

#WATCH | Mumbai | A thick layer of smog blankets the Bandra area of the city. The AQI is recorded at 300 in 'Poor' category, as per CPCB pic.twitter.com/hM3qXAKzAr

— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2025

Earlier on Tuesday, a day after Diwali, Mumbai's AQI plunged to the 'very poor' category in several regions. The Air Quality Early Warning System recorded the highest AQI reading, 341, at the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Colaba station at 5 am on Tuesday.

This was a significant increase from the 187 AQI recorded on Monday. On Tuesday, unseasonal rain also lashed parts of Mumbai. However, there was no significant improvement in the air quality after rain. Dadar, Bandra, Lalbaug, Powai, Byculla, Kurla, and several other areas received moderate to heavy showers.

Not only Mumbai, but several other cities of the country, including Delhi and Kolkata, are also grappling with poor air quality after Diwali.

In Delhi, the Air Quality Index (AQI) around Akshardham touched 360, falling in the 'very poor’ category. As per the data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Wednesday morning, AQI even reached 380 in some areas.

AQI readings between 0-50 are regarded as good, 51-100 are satisfactory, 101-200 are moderate, 201-300 are poor, 301-400 are very poor, and it is considered severe beyond 400.