Delhi air quality remains remains 'poor' as temperatures dips below 4°C
Delhi battles very poor air quality with dense fog as minimum temperature falls below 4 degrees Celsius, raising health concerns for residents across the city
 "Delhi air quality remains remains 'poor' as temperatures dips below 4°C")
The air quality in Delhi continues to remain hazardous as the national capital grapples with a persistent cold wave and dense fog. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 293, falling under the 'poor' category at 7 am on Monday.
AQI levels across major monitoring stations
Around 20 monitoring stations recorded 'very poor' air quality, while the remaining stations were in the 'poor' category. Nehru Nagar recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 344.
Key AQI readings:
Ananda Vihar: 327
Rohini: 318
Chandni Chowk: 337
RK Puram: 334
ITO: 290
AQI classification:
0–50: Good
51–100: Satisfactory
101–200: Moderate
201–300: Poor
301–400: Very Poor
401–500: Severe
A thin layer of fog blanketed areas such as Dhaula Kuan and Sarai Kale Khan during the early morning hours.
What is driving Delhi’s air pollution levels?
The Decision Support System identifies the main contributors to pollution in Delhi as transport emissions, accounting for 10.84 per cent, followed by industries in Delhi and surrounding areas at 11 per cent. Residential sources contributed 6 per cent, while road dust accounted for 0.95 per cent. The air quality warning system predicts that pollution levels will likely remain in the ‘very poor’ category until January 13, with cold and calm conditions expected to worsen the situation in the coming days.
How cold is the weather in Delhi?
Delhi woke up to intense cold conditions on Monday, with minimum temperatures dipping to around 3 degrees Celsius at several weather stations, marking the coldest January day since 2023. Ayanagar recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 2.9 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
IMD has issued an orange alert, warning of cold wave conditions at many places, along with shallow to moderate fog during morning hours. The minimum temperature in Delhi is expected to dip to 2–4 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature may hover around 18–20 degrees Celsius, making the day notably chilly.
Several parts of the city experienced cold wave conditions on Sunday night, with minimum temperatures plunging close to 3 degrees Celsius. Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 3.0 degrees Celsius, its lowest in several years. IMD data suggests that similar cold conditions are likely to persist throughout the day.
At Safdarjung, the minimum temperature was 4.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday night and is expected to drop further to around 3 degrees Celsius tonight. The Ridge station recorded a minimum of 3.7 degrees Celsius, with the maximum temperature reaching 18.8 degrees Celsius.