Delhi steps up curbs as AQI hits 377
Delhi air quality worsens ahead of Diwali as firework restrictions enter force
Wednesday, 4 November 2026
Photo by Zoshua Colah on Unsplash
Warm-up
- What comes to your mind when you hear the word pollution?
- How is the air quality in your city at different times of year?
- Do festivals in your country affect the environment? How?
Vocabulary
- pollution
- dirty or harmful substances in the air, water or land
- vulnerable
- more likely to be harmed or affected by something
- restriction
- a rule that limits what people can do
- fireworks
- small explosives used for light and colour during celebrations
- emissions
- gases or particles sent out by vehicles, factories or fires
- congestion
- too many vehicles in one place, causing slow traffic
- stagger
- to arrange times so people do not all start or finish together
- enforce
- to make sure people follow a law or rule
Reading
Listen to this story
British EnglishDelhi is battling worsening air pollution as winter begins. The city's air quality index (AQI) reached 377, which India's watchdog classifies as very poor (301–400). Long exposure can cause illness, and children and older people are especially vulnerable.
Authorities have invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with restrictions to cut dust and emissions. Steps include extra road cleaning, higher parking fees, and 20 more weekday trips on the Delhi Metro. Government office hours are staggered to ease congestion.
Diwali is only days away. Fireworks can push levels higher. The Supreme Court allowed certified green firecrackers for short periods on 7–8 November (06:00–07:00 and 20:00–22:00) and banned them near hospitals, care homes and schools. Enforcing the rules is difficult.
Experts link the spike to falling temperatures, slow winds and crop burning in Punjab and Haryana. A recent storm cleared the air, then winds carried smoke back. Mumbai also recorded very poor air, with an AQI of 322 on 24 October.
Comprehension
- What AQI level did Delhi record in the report?
- Which plan stage did authorities invoke to fight pollution?
- Name one measure introduced to reduce emissions or congestion.
- When are green firecrackers allowed during Diwali?
- What reasons did experts give for the recent spike in pollution?
Grammar focus
Question tags
Question tags are short questions at the end to check or confirm. Positive sentence → negative tag; negative sentence → positive tag. Use the same auxiliary/modal and subject: is → isn’t it?, have → haven’t they?, can → can’t they?; can’t → can they? (Examples constructed.)
- The city is battling pollution, isn't it?
- The court banned fireworks near schools, didn't it?
Practise this grammar: Question tags (B1)
Grammar exercise
Choose the correct option in each sentence.
- AQI reached 377, (didn't it? / wasn't it?)
- Authorities have invoked GRAP, (haven't they? / don't they?)
- Fireworks are banned near hospitals, (are they? / aren't they?)
- Winds carried smoke back, (didn't they? / weren't they?)
- Children are especially vulnerable, (don't they? / aren't they?)
Discussion
- Should fireworks be limited during festivals? Why or why not?
- Which restriction from the text would work best in your city?
- What can individuals do to reduce emissions where they live?
- How could public transport be made more attractive in Delhi?
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