Delhi's air stays toxic as 34 monitoring stations record 'very poor' AQI

Rohini, Anand Vihar and Bawana among worst-hit areas in the national capital as 34 out of 39 monitoring stations record 'very poor' air quality

Delhi woke to yet another morning of dense smog on Wednesday as the air quality index (AQI) touched 362 at Anand Vihar, placing 34 of the city’s 39 monitoring stations in the ‘very poor’ category.

 

Key pollution hotspots included Rohini (AQI 376), Delhi Technological University (367), Anand Vihar (362), Bawana (382), Ashok Vihar (364), Burari (347), Alipur (344), ITO (360) and Dwarka (361).

NCR sees mixed conditions

Across the neighbouring NCR, Noida recorded very poor air at 358 in Sector 1, and 397 in Sector 125. Greater Noida showed mixed readings, with Knowledge Park III at 289 and Knowledge Park V at 357. Ghaziabad largely faced very poor air, while Gurugram and Faridabad fared slightly better, registering AQI levels in the poor category.

Will the AQI improve soon?

The Air Quality Early Warning System predicts that Delhi-NCR will continue to experience very poor air from November 26 to 28, with levels fluctuating between very poor and severe. Vehicular emissions remain the largest contributor to pollution, accounting for 21.1 per cent of Delhi’s air contaminants, followed by stubble burning at 1.5 per cent, according to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.

Delhi weather outlook for today

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts moderate fog over the city today. Temperatures are expected to range between 9 degrees Celsius (minimum) and 24 degrees Celsius (maximum), providing little relief from the dense smog affecting the residents.