Delhi's air quality dips to 'very poor' as thick smog blankets city

Delhi woke up to another morning blanketed in thick smog on Monday, with air pollution levels continuing to remain alarmingly high across the city despite ongoing clean-up drives.

 

At 8 am, the Anand Vihar monitoring station recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 379, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

 

Visibility remained low across several parts of the city, while residents reported eye irritation, sore throats, headaches, and respiratory discomfort.

 

On Sunday at 4 pm, Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 370, also in the ‘very poor’ category. Several neighbourhoods hovered near the 400 mark, signalling hazardous conditions for residents.

 

The CPCB classifies AQI values between 0 and 50 as ‘good’, 51–100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 as ‘moderate’, 201–300 as ‘poor’, 301–400 as ‘very poor’, and 401–500 as ‘severe’. 

 

What is the latest in efforts to curb pollution?

 

In a bid to reduce household emissions, the Delhi government announced plans to extend the Ujjwala Yojana to slum clusters.

 

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta directed officials to identify households still using traditional stoves and coal-fired heaters, PTI reported.

 

The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has been tasked with conducting a citywide survey in slum areas to locate families relying on polluting cooking methods.

 

Officials said maintenance vans have been deployed for deep cleaning of roads and pavements to reduce dust — one of the major contributors to Delhi’s air pollution.

 

Meanwhile, Stage-II measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) remain in effect, though authorities have not yet escalated to Stage-III restrictions. 

 

Will weather change bring any relief?

 

Weather conditions are expected to offer little immediate relief, with clear skies and shallow morning fog forecast for the region.

 

For Monday, the maximum temperature is likely to hover between 27 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is expected to stay between 11 degrees Celsius and 13 degrees Celsius.

 

As winter sets in, meteorologists said that the prevailing weather pattern is likely to persist, limiting the chances of any significant improvement in air quality in the coming days.