The 'severe' air quality affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases, as per the CPCB.

Delhi's Air Quality Plunges Post-Diwali; Residents Complain of Breathing and Eye Irritation Latest News: As the air quality in the national capital worsened sharply following Diwali celebrations, patients with symptoms linked to pollution have started visiting Apollo Hospitals in Delhi.

Respiratory Medicine Specialist at Apollo Hospitals, Dr Nikhil Modi, has advised children and the elderly to avoid going outdoors.  

Dr Nikhil Modi said, “As winter approaches every year, we see the AQI start to rise because as the air cools, the wind speed decreases and cold air does not rise, because of which pollution accumulates at the low level. Before Diwali, we started seeing that the AQI was rising, and after Diwali, it was expected that the AQI would rise.”

“ As soon as the pollution increases, people with allergies, lung problems will face issues like difficulty in breathing, coughing, watery eyes, and other symptoms,” Dr Nikhil Modi added.

Dr Nikhil Modi further stated that patients have started coming right after the next day of Diwali.

He urged everyone to take preventive steps,  and “have our medicines if there is an allergy or breathing problem... Children and elderly people should avoid going outdoors. They should wear mask whenever they go out..."

A resident of Delhi told ANI that instead of blaming the government, people need to work on "improving themselves", and complained that he is facing breathing and eye irritation due to the rise in air pollution.

Another resident expressed a similar opinion and called for a collective responsibility.

A day after Diwali, on Tuesday morning, most of the monitoring stations marked in the ‘Red Zone’ of pollution, the ANI reported.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) cited in the report, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 359 as of 10 am today.

The report said that as per the CPCB, Bawana recorded an AQI of 432 as of 10 am, Jahangirpuri had an AQI of 405, Ashok Vihar had an AQI of 408, and Wazirpur, with an AQI of 408, remains the worst hit area with air quality falling under 'the Severe' category.

During the 'very poor' air quality, residents might face breathing difficulties and one can develop respiratory illness on prolonged exposure. The 'severe' air quality affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases, as per the CPCB.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor, and 401-500 is severe.

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