Delhi AQI tops 400 at multiple stations as winter smog sets in across NCR

Delhi's air quality plunged to 'severe' levels on Wednesday morning as smog thickened across NCR, with vehicles and stubble burning driving pollution and IMD forecasting foggy, colder mornings

Delhi’s air quality slipped into the ‘severe’ category on Wednesday morning, with dense smog shrouding the city and the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing 400 at several monitoring stations.

How bad is the pollution today?

 

At 8 am, the Anand Vihar monitoring station recorded an AQI of 419, while Bawana stood at 445, Rohini at 431, and Punjabi Bagh at 425, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.

 

Neighbouring regions also reported hazardous levels: Greater Noida recorded 450, Noida 410, and Ghaziabad 435. Faridabad and Gurugram logged comparatively lower readings of 234 and 288, respectively.

 

By 4 pm on Tuesday, the capital’s 24-hour average AQI was 374, categorised as ‘very poor’, with over 10 monitoring stations already in the ‘severe’ range, a level that poses health risks even to healthy individuals.

 

As per CPCB norms, AQI is classified as: 0–50 ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’. 

What is causing the high pollution levels?

 

The Decision Support System of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology showed that vehicular emissions contributed 18.1 per cent to Delhi’s pollution on Tuesday, while stubble burning accounted for 5.4 per cent. For Wednesday, these are projected at 20 per cent and 2.8 per cent, reported PTI.

 

The Air Quality Early Warning System under the Ministry of Earth Sciences expects Delhi’s AQI to remain in the ‘very poor’ range for the next six days.

 

Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) dismissed reports claiming that Delhi-NCR had moved to Grap Stage-IV, saying Stage-III remains in force and urging the public to ignore misinformation. 

What is the weather forecast for today?

 

Winter has begun to set in across Delhi-NCR even as air quality continues to deteriorate. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD):

 

• 18 November: Partly cloudy sky with mist or haze at night
• 19 November: Partly cloudy sky with shallow to moderate fog in the morning
• 20–24 November: Mainly clear sky with shallow to moderate morning fog

 

On Wednesday, the maximum temperature is expected to remain between 25 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius, while the minimum will range from 9 degrees Celsius to 11 degrees Celsius. IMD forecasts minimum temperatures to stay below normal by –1.6 degrees Celsius to –3.0 degrees Celsius, or near normal, over the next five days.