Delhi sees worst January air quality in 5 years; Grap stage IV curbs on

Despite a slight improvement on Tuesday, Delhi is witnessing its worst January air quality in five years, with Grap Stage IV restrictions continuing amid unfavourable weather and dense fog

Delhi’s three-day spell of ‘severe’ air pollution ended on Tuesday morning, with the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) showing a marginal improvement and settling in the ‘very poor’ category at 395 at 8 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

 

Despite the slight relief, air quality across the capital remained deeply concerning, with a majority of monitoring stations continuing to record unhealthy pollution levels. Of the 39 stations reporting data, 23 remained in the ‘severe’ category, 14 were classified as ‘very poor’, while data was unavailable for two stations.

 

Wazirpur recorded the worst air quality in the city with an AQI of 445, followed closely by Anand Vihar at 444 and Jahangirpuri at 443, highlighting persistently high pollution levels across several pollution hotspots in the capital.

 

As per CPCB classification, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’.

Worst January air quality in five years

Delhi is currently grappling with its worst January air quality spell in five years, with the city recording three consecutive days of ‘severe’ pollution and average AQI levels consistently above 400, a situation last witnessed in 2021. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the AQI breached the 400 mark, prompting authorities to enforce Stage IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap).

 

At least 25 of Delhi’s 39 monitoring stations recorded ‘severe’ air quality during this period, with several locations nearing the upper end of the AQI scale. Officials attributed the persistence of pollution to calm wind conditions, dense fog and wintertime atmospheric stability, which significantly limit the dispersion of pollutants.

No immediate relief ahead

Looking ahead, the Air Quality Warning System has forecast that Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category on Tuesday and continue at similar levels over the next two days, offering little respite for residents.

 

Weather conditions also provided limited relief. The minimum temperature in the city was recorded at 7.2 degrees Celsius. Station-wise data showed minimum temperatures of 8.8 degrees Celsius at Palam, 9.0 degrees Celsius at Ridge, 8.0 degrees Celsius at Ayanagar, and 7.6 degrees Celsius at Lodhi Road, while Safdarjung reported the city’s lowest minimum.

 

The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 24 degrees Celsius, with moderate fog likely during the morning hours, conditions that could further hinder pollutant dispersion.