New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Thursday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 482 at around 8 am, placing the national capital in the ‘severe’ category. Thick smog continued to blanket several parts of the city, raising concerns over the worsening pollution ahead of Diwali.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), seven monitoring stations across Delhi recorded AQI levels above 400. Punjabi Bagh reported the highest reading at 446, followed by Narela at 434, Rohini at 431, RK Puram at 416, Bawana at 412, North Campus at Delhi University at 408 and Patparganj at 405.
Several other areas also recorded readings close to the severe threshold. Okhla Phase-2 and India Gate registered an AQI of 399 each, while ITO recorded 397 and Dwarka Sector 8 reported 396. The readings indicate widespread deterioration in air quality across the capital.
The latest spike follows another sharp rise on Wednesday, when Delhi recorded an average AQI of 377, its highest reading in 288 days. The last time the city reported a higher figure was on January 20, when the AQI stood at 378, according to CPCB data.
The deterioration has been attributed to a combination of local emissions, crop-residue burning in neighbouring states and unfavourable weather conditions. Low wind speeds and atmospheric conditions have restricted the dispersion of pollutants, allowing particulate matter to accumulate over the region.
According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s Decision Support System, transport emissions contributed an estimated 18.17 per cent of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution on Wednesday, while stubble burning accounted for 16.28 per cent. Satellite data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute also detected 467 farm-fire incidents across six states on November 4, including 151 in Punjab and 111 in Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) remains in force across Delhi-NCR. The measures include intensified mechanical road sweeping, water sprinkling with dust suppressants, stricter inspections at construction sites and steps to control road dust and vehicular emissions.
The Air Quality Early Warning System has forecast that Delhi’s air quality could remain in the severe category on November 6 and 7, with the outlook indicating that the conditions may persist over the following days.
An AQI between 401 and 500 falls under the severe category, according to CPCB classification. At this level, health risks extend across the population, with children, older adults and people with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions particularly vulnerable to exposure.
