Delhi’s air quality inched dangerously close to the ‘Severe’ category on Friday, with the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) registering 384 at 6 a.m., firmly remaining in the ‘Very Poor’ range, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
The deterioration comes barely 48 hours after the Commission for Air Quality Management revoked the stringent Stage III restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan. The capital has now seen poor air quality for 14 days in a row.
Hotspots Slip Into ‘Severe’ Range
The latest readings reflect a sharp spike in pollutant concentration at various monitoring stations, indicating pockets of toxic air across the city:
Severe Locations (AQI 401+): Of the 39 monitoring stations in the city, 19 recorded pollution in the ‘Severe’ category. Key hotspots include Anand Vihar at 411, Bawana at 414, Ashok Vihar at 417, Chandni Chowk at 407, Narela at 407, and Aya Nagar at 402.
Near-Severe: Stations recording the highest end of the ‘Very Poor’ range included ITO at 396, Alipur at 355, and IGI Airport at 360.
NCR Cities Face Worsening Conditions
The crisis over pollution remains acute in the National Capital Region, with many cities recording ‘Severe’ readings.
The pollution crisis remains acute across the National Capital Region (NCR), with several cities recording air quality in the most hazardous categories. Noida is reporting ‘Severe’ air quality, with specific hotspots like Sector 116 (AQI 438) and Sector 125 (AQI 422) well into the danger zone.
Ghaziabad showed a mix of ‘Severe’ and ‘Very Poor’ readings, highlighted by Loni (AQI 425) in the ‘Severe’ category and Indirapuram (AQI 385) in the ‘Very Poor’ range.
Greater Noida is firmly in the ‘Very Poor’ category, with stations like Knowledge Park-V (399) nearing ‘Severe.’ Gurugram fares comparatively better, with its overall AQI still rated ‘Very Poor’ at 318.
Cold Weather And Forecast
With the arrival of winter, there is a drop in temperature, and coupled with low wind speed, this usually traps pollutants close to the surface.
Temperature: The India Meteorological Department forecasted cloudy skies and foggy conditions for the day. Minimum temperature is likely to oscillate between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius, while Wednesday’s reading had been 8 degrees Celsius—the coldest November morning since 2022.
Air Quality Outlook: The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has forecast that the air quality is going to vary between ‘Severe’ and ‘Very Poor’ categories for the next six days, indicating no significant relief is expected anytime soon.
