Delhi air quality hits hazardous levels, visibility drops across NCR
Guwahati: Delhi and the surrounding regions of the National Capital Region (NCR) plunged deeper into hazardous air pollution on Sunday, as dense smog and toxic haze blanketed the city, severely reducing visibility and raising serious public health concerns. The crisis comes just a day after air quality had already slipped into the ‘severe’ category.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 461 at 7 am, up from 431 on Saturday.
All 40 monitoring stations across the capital registered readings in the ‘severe’ category, with Rohini recording the highest AQI of 499, followed closely by Bawana (498), Vivek Vihar (495), Ashok Vihar and Wazirpur (493 each), Narela (492), and Anand Vihar (491). Other heavily polluted areas included ITO (485), Mundka (486), Punjabi Bagh (478), Nehru Nagar (476), Chandni Chowk and Okhla (470 each). Even comparatively greener pockets like Lodhi Road (400) and Najafgarh (404) faced hazardous conditions.
The pollution extended into the NCR, with Noida recording an AQI of 470 and Ghaziabad at 460, both in the severe range. Gurugram recorded ‘very poor’ air at 348, while Faridabad measured 220 (‘poor’).
Dense smog combined with morning fog sharply reduced visibility, forcing the Indira Gandhi International Airport to implement low-visibility protocols for flights.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned visibility could drop to 100 metres in dense fog early Sunday morning, gradually improving to around 800 metres in shallow fog later.
Meteorological factors contributed significantly to the spike. A weak western disturbance over northwest India, coupled with reduced wind speeds, easterly winds, and increased moisture in the lower atmosphere, trapped pollutants near the surface, fostering smog and fog formation.
The IMD forecast partly cloudy skies over the next 48 hours, with night and morning mist, haze, and fog expected to persist.
In response, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) activated Stage-IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR, enforcing a five-point emergency action plan. Measures include banning BS-IV diesel trucks (except essential services), halting construction, mining, and stone crusher operations, and shifting schools for Classes VI–IX and XI to hybrid learning. Authorities may also consider odd-even vehicle rules and closing non-essential commercial activities.
Residents, especially children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses, have been urged to remain indoors, avoid outdoor exertion, and wear masks if stepping outside.
Prolonged exposure to AQI levels above 400 can cause respiratory distress, eye irritation, reduced lung function, and cardiovascular complications.
After brief relief earlier in the week, pollution levels surged again from Thursday, and experts warn hazardous conditions could persist, further impacting public health and daily life in Delhi.