New Delhi: Delhi continued to reel under poor air quality on Saturday, with the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 364 at 8 am, keeping it in the ‘very poor’ category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
Several monitoring stations, however, reported air quality in the ‘severe’ range. IIT Delhi recorded an AQI of 443, while Punjabi Bagh and Narela reported readings of 433 and 409, respectively.
Other parts of the capital also recorded deteriorated air quality, with Cantonment Area registering an AQI of 315 and Dhaula Kuan 318. Anand Vihar reported a reading of 272, placing it in the ‘poor’ category.
The latest reading marked a modest improvement compared with Friday morning, when Delhi’s average AQI stood at 389.
Misty conditions were reported in the capital during the early hours, with the India Meteorological Department recording a temperature of 17 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung at 5:30 am.
The worsening pollution levels come after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) imposed Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR on Friday, ahead of Diwali.
Under the Stage III restrictions, existing pollution-control measures remain in place while additional curbs and stricter enforcement measures are implemented to limit emissions and prevent further deterioration in air quality.
According to CPCB classification, an AQI between 301 and 400 is considered ‘very poor’, while readings between 401 and 500 fall in the ‘severe’ category.
With Diwali approaching, authorities are closely monitoring air quality across the region and have stepped up measures aimed at limiting pollution levels during the festive period.
