Delhi air stays severe plus, overall AQI at 494, most stations touch 500-mark
A thick, dense layer of smog surrounded Delhi on Tuesday, blurring silhouettes and reducing visibility as the air quality index spiked to 494, the season’s highest.
The strictest Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) IV restrictions are currently in place in the national capital, with the Supreme Court asking authorities not to lift the curbs without taking its permission even if the AQI falls below 450.
Air quality across the national capital region has deteriorated, with several air monitoring stations touching the 500-mark (severe plus) on Tuesday morning.
The latest reading comes as Delhi-NCR remains under Stage 4 pollution curbs of the Graded Response Action Plan. These measures include a ban on truck entry, except for those carrying essential items or using clean fuel like LNG, CNG, BS-VI diesel, or electric. Non-essential light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi are also prohibited unless they are electric, CNG, or BS-VI diesel. Construction at public projects has been halted entirely.
Train services continue despite smog in Delhi, with visuals shared by news agency ANI showing activity at New Delhi Railway Station. The Railways reported that 22 trains are delayed, and nine have been rescheduled due to pollution.
On Monday, the Supreme Court directed all Delhi-NCR states to urgently take a call on stopping physical classes for students up to Class 12 to minimise health risks in the wake of the plummeting air quality.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that the air quality index in several areas of Delhi, including Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, and Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, reached 500 on Tuesday morning, raising concerns about public health and safety.
Particulate matter over Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, and Faridabad has turned the sky to muted grey. Schools across the Delhi-NCR region will conduct online classes starting today. While the Delhi government and Faridabad did not announce an end date for the online classes, Noida and Gurugram have stopped physical classes till November 23.
Meanwhile, Delhi University has announced that it will hold online classes until November 23, while Jawaharlal Nehru University will do so until November 22, citing worsening air quality in the capital.