Delhi air quality turns 'severe' as several stations record AQI above 400

Delhi's air quality remained in the severe category as dense fog, calm winds and falling temperatures trapped pollutants, prompting permanent Grap-4 curbs

Air quality in Delhi remained hazardous on Sunday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 391 at 6 am, placing it on the brink of the severe category. Several monitoring stations across the city recorded AQI levels above 400. A thick layer of smog, coupled with dense winter fog, enveloped large parts of Delhi, triggering health concerns and significantly impacting daily life.

 

AQI readings across key areas of Delhi

 

Anand Vihar: 445

Ashok Vihar: 429

Bawana: 423

Chandni Chowk: 418

RK Puram: 409

Rohini: 429

Vivek Vihar: 428

ITO: 401

 

Adjoining cities also affected

 

Poor air quality conditions extended to neighbouring regions as well:

 

 

Gurugram: 355

Noida: 443

Ghaziabad: 304

Faridabad: 288

 

By 4 pm on Saturday, Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 385. Of the 40 air quality monitoring stations in the capital, 20 recorded AQI above 400. These included stations at Shadipur, Vivek Vihar, Ashok Nagar, Bawana, Chandni Chowk, DTU, Dwarka, ITO and Mundka, among others.

 

CPCB AQI categories

 

0–50: Good

51–100: Satisfactory

101–200: Moderate

201–300: Poor

301–400: Very poor

401–500: Severe

 

What is causing the rise in AQI levels?

 

Experts attributed the sharp spike in pollution levels to calm wind conditions and falling temperatures, which have hindered the dispersion of pollutants. The stagnant atmospheric conditions have allowed particulate matter to accumulate near the surface, worsening air quality across the region.

 

Data from the Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management showed that vehicular emissions were the largest contributor to Delhi’s pollution load on Saturday, accounting for 16.2 per cent. This was followed by industrial emissions in Delhi and adjoining areas (8.5 per cent), residential emissions (4 per cent) and biomass burning (1.6 per cent).

 

What is the Delhi government doing to curb pollution?

 

With pollution levels continuing to remain severe, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Saturday announced that two restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-4 will now remain permanent to curb severe air pollution in the capital.

 

Sirsa said that petrol will not be provided to vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) until further orders, reported ANI. He added that vehicles entering Delhi from outside the city that do not meet Bharat Stage VI (BS6) emission standards will also face restrictions. The minister emphasised that the government’s priority is to ensure that residents do not have to repeatedly face pollution-related hardships.

 

Speaking about the weather outlook, Sirsa said that the possibility of adverse weather conditions is being indicated, adding that due to an incoming western disturbance, the weather may remain unfavourable.

 

Delhi weather forecast

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a partly cloudy sky for Sunday and issued a yellow alert. Moderate fog at many places and dense fog at isolated locations during morning hours is likely.

 

The maximum temperature in Delhi is expected to remain between 21 and 23 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is likely to hover between 6 and 8 degrees Celsius.