Smog blankets Delhi as air quality worsens, 28 stations see 'very poor' AQI

Smog remained widespread across Delhi and NCR, with Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Rohini, and NSIT Dwarka among the worst-hit hotspots

The national capital woke up to a dense blanket of toxic smog on Friday morning, with air quality taking a significant hit after two days of remaining in the ‘poor’ category.

 

The average Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stood around 332, with 28 of the 39 monitoring stations recording AQI in the ‘very poor’ category. AQI crossed 400 in Jhangirpuri, while data for Lodhi Road was unavailable. Nine stations recorded AQI under 300, remaining in the ‘poor’ category.

 

The Anand Vihar monitoring station recorded an AQI of 391, dangerously close to the ‘severe’ level. Other pollution hotspots included:

• Jhangirpuri – 405
• Ashok Vihar – 379
• NSIT Dwarka – 394
• Rohini – 385
• Vivek Vihar – 388
• Wazirpuri – 389

According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'.

 

Surrounding regions also affected

 

Noida and Greater Noida witnessed a sharp decline in air quality, with most stations hovering near the 400 mark. Sector 116 in Noida recorded an AQI of 400, while the overall city AQI was 360. Greater Noida registered an AQI of 342.5. In Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, the average AQI of three monitoring stations remained at 374, while Loni in Ghaziabad recorded a hazardous AQI of 427.

 

AQI levels in Haryana’s Gurugram remained comparatively better remaining in the 'poor' or 'very poor' category'.

 

Sources of pollution

 

According to the Decision Support System for Delhi's Air Quality Management, transport is the largest contributor to pollution, accounting for 16.6 per cent, followed by Delhi and peripheral industries at 8.3 per cent. Residential sources contribute around 4 per cent, while construction activities add 2.2 per cent to the city’s pollution levels.

 

Delhi weather update

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast partly cloudy skies with shallow to moderate fog during the morning hours on Friday.

 

Today, the temperatures in Delhi are expected to range between 7 to 9 degrees Celsius (minimum) and 23 to 25 degrees Celsius (maximum), remaining close to normal for this time of year. 

On Thursday, the maximum temperature settled at 25.6 degrees Celsius, 0.8 degrees Celsius below normal, while the minimum was 8.6 degrees Celsius, 1 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average.

 

A fresh, feeble Western Disturbance is expected to influence the Western Himalayan region from December 13, 2025 which may bring some relief from the worsening pollution levels.