New Delhi: The national capital continued to reel under hazardous air pollution on Friday, with the citywide Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 389 in the ‘Very Poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data recorded at 8 a.m. Several parts of the national capital, however, reported ‘Severe’ air quality, raising concerns over the worsening pollution situation.
IIT Delhi and Rohini recorded the highest AQI levels at 474 each, followed by Punjabi Bagh at 465 and RK Puram at 443. The pollution level at ITO stood at 422, while Firoz Shah Road registered 420 and the India Gate area recorded an AQI of 403.
Other locations also reported alarmingly high pollution levels. The AQI around Anand Vihar and Akshardham stood at 359, while IGI Airport Terminal 3 recorded 385. Aya Nagar and Chandni Chowk registered AQI readings of 393 and 391, respectively.
Amid the deteriorating air quality, municipal authorities deployed truck-mounted water sprinklers near India Gate as part of pollution control measures under Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which remains in force across the national capital.
Residents have expressed concerns over the health impact of the worsening air quality, particularly breathing difficulties and eye irritation.
A local resident, Sarvesh, said the pollution had made even routine morning activities uncomfortable, with smog persisting despite relatively low traffic movement.
“Because of the pollution, it’s hard to breathe, and I’m feeling anxious. There’s a lot of smog, making it feel like the middle of January. There are a lot of issues, including a burning sensation in the eyes,” he said.
Another resident, 71-year-old Nemichand Sharma, blamed unchecked urbanisation and what he described as administrative apathy for the recurring pollution crisis. He alleged that authorities were failing to implement effective measures on the ground despite the scale of the problem.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a morning temperature of 17.8 degrees Celsius in Delhi, with mainly clear skies. The weather department has forecast shallow fog over the next four days, with fog or mist likely during early morning hours on November 10 and 11.
The worsening pollution has also intensified the political exchange over stubble burning and its contribution to Delhi’s air quality crisis.
On Thursday, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of making misleading claims about paddy harvesting and stubble burning.
Speaking to reporters at the Integrated Command and Control Centre in Shastri Park, Sirsa alleged that Mann had incorrectly claimed that paddy harvesting had not yet begun in Punjab.
Citing figures from the Punjab government’s own data, Sirsa claimed that 77% of the stubble had already been burnt, arguing that the practice had significantly contributed to the deterioration of air quality in Delhi.
The minister criticised Mann over his remarks, alleging that the Punjab government’s claims did not match the figures available on stubble burning.
