Delhi's air quality remains 'very poor' amid cold wave and fog conditions

Delhi's air pollution levels stayed in the 'very poor' category despite showing a declining trend. On Thursday (December 26), the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 341 at 8 am. It is expected to improve further due to favourable weather conditions.  

 

Earlier, stage IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) were lifted. These included a ban on all construction activities, the entry of non-essential polluting trucks into Delhi, and mandatory shifting of classes, except for years 10 and 12, to hybrid mode.  

 

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI levels in different parts of Delhi as of 6 am today were as follows: Vivek Vihar (372), Okhla Phase 2 (369), Rohini (377), ITO (340), Ashok Vihar (362), Wazirpur (366), Shadipur (319), Jahangirpuri (375), Narela (325), DTU (297), R.K. Puram (391), Anand Vihar (370), Pusa (358), and Punjabi Bagh (363).  

Air quality in NCR

The air quality index in the National Capital Region (NCR) improved and remained mostly in the 'moderate' category. In Haryana's Gurugram, the AQI was in the 'poor' category, recorded at 249. In Rohtak, the AQI was 187. Areas in Uttar Pradesh had 'poor' air quality, with Noida at 225 and Ghaziabad at 229.  

Delhi Airport issues advisory

Earlier today, the Delhi airport issued advisory to all flyers giving a fog alert. It stated that the low visibility procedures are still in place at the airport though there had been no impact on flights.

Delhi grapples with cold wave

In the National Capital Region (NCR), cold wave and fog conditions persisted, with the minimum temperature dropping to 8.4 degrees Celsius. The IMD has forecast moderate to dense fog in New Delhi today (26 December), with the temperature expected to drop further. The maximum temperature may rise to around 23 degrees Celsius.