Across several Indian cities, air quality worsens around Diwali night as firecracker smoke increases fine particulate pollution, then shows partial improvement by the next day in some places. Times of India reports that in Bhopal and other Maharashtra locations, readings ease after an earlier spike, though pollution levels still sit in “moderate” or higher categories in parts of those cities.

Free Press Journal highlights that health risks persist even when AQI trends downward. In Bhopal, doctors warn that high AQI ranges including “very poor” and “severe” levels can aggravate respiratory problems, advising children, older adults, pregnant people and people with asthma or allergies to stay indoors and wear masks if they must go out. In Mumbai, experts say relatively cleaner post-Diwali air this year does not mean the air is safe, emphasizing PM2.5 and noting spatial differences between monitoring points.

Coverage in Delhi and parts of the NCR focuses more on the intensity and reliability of data. Free Press Journal says Delhi remains in the “very poor” range, with some areas topping lists and with gaps in monitoring data compared with CPCB records. PravdaReport adds that AQI can be disputed, pointing to monitoring stations reportedly going offline during the peak and citing reported increases in respiratory patients. Other outlets also report city-specific severe-to-poor transitions in locations such as Pune and Nashik, where PM2.5 is described as a main driver.