Delhi air quality stays 'very poor' amid cold wave, dense fog; AQI at 348

The national capital continued to breathe very poor air as pollution levels stayed high; a cold wave and widespread fog reduced visibility and added to travel disruptions across the region

Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Friday morning, with high pollution levels and dense fog. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 348 at 8 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

 

The Anand Vihar monitoring station recorded an AQI of 363, while most areas saw AQI readings well above the 300 mark. AQI was over 400 in Pusa, while RK Puram and Wazirpur recorded some of the worst levels at 374, while Patparganj logged 372. Pollution levels were also alarmingly high in Ashok Vihar, Chandni Chowk, ITO, and Dwarka Sector 8.

 

 

Under the AQI scale, readings between 301 and 400 fall in the ‘very poor’ category, which can trigger respiratory discomfort even among healthy individuals, while those with existing health conditions face increased risks.

 

Delhi weather today

 

A cold wave is also sweeping across the region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said temperatures in the capital dipped to around 5.4 degrees Celsius, intensifying the winter chill and contributing to the accumulation of pollutants near the surface.

 

Dense to very dense fog also disrupted transport across large parts of northern and eastern India early on Friday. Official visibility data at 5.30 am showed zero visibility at airports in Amritsar, Adampur, Chandigarh, Pathankot, Hindon and Saharanpur, where very dense fog prevailed.

 

In Delhi, visibility remained relatively better but still restricted, with Palam reporting 800 metres and Safdarjung around 700 metres, indicating shallow fog conditions.

 

Moderate fog was observed at several other locations.

 

Pollution levels have shown little improvement over the past 24 hours. On Thursday morning, Delhi’s AQI was recorded at 352, also in the ‘very poor’ category, showing the persistence of hazardous air quality amid unfavourable winter weather conditions.