What is driving Delhi's AQI spike? Is Mumbai air pollution worse than Delhi?
Air pollution levels in Delhi and Mumbai have surged ahead of the festive season, prompting the Bombay High Court to raise concerns over industrial emissions, construction dust, and violations of firecracker regulations. With Graded Response Action Plan Stage 1 enforced in Delhi-NCR, environmental data reveals significant spikes in PM2.5 concentrations, acetone, and formaldehyde tied to firecracker usage alongside seasonal stubble burning. In the national capital, Bikaner House officials removed around 70 photographs from visual artist Raihan Vadra’s exhibition, citing booking guidelines restricting political content, a decision challenged by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Robert Vadra. Concurrently, the Delhi Police denied security clearance for singer Diljit Dosanjh’s scheduled concert at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium due to festive bandobast requirements. Other major developments include artists backing singer Daler Mehndi after an on-stage dispute with Uttarakhand Minister Subodh Uniyal in Tehri Garhwal, and cybersecurity agencies issuing alerts concerning artificial intelligence-detected PHP vulnerabilities and cryptographic certificate flaws linked to Bengaluru-based firm eMudhra.