Delhi chokes as air quality nears ‘severe plus’, dense fog amid cold wave

The overall air quality in Delhi and adjoining areas stood at the higher end of the severe category on Thursday morning.

With the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 448. The city continued to experience a chilling temperature, with the mercury dipping to 6.2 degrees as a thick layer of fog covered the national capital.

Out of the 37 air quality monitoring stations in Delhi, 23 reported AQI levels in the severe-plus category, with Nehru Nagar topping the list at an index of 485, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. ITO, India Gate, RK Puram, Lajpat Nagar, and Rohini are some prominent areas in the severe-plus category.

Around 10 locations fell into the severe category, with AQI levels exceeding 400. On Wednesday night, the overall AQI reached 450 at 11 pm in the severe-plus category.

In Noida, the AQI stood at 366, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, while Gurugram recorded an AQI of 370 in the same category. In Ghaziabad, the AQI was 386 as of 7.30 am on Thursday.

Delhi recorded the minimum temperature of 6.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday, which was lower than the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) prediction.

The general visibility at New Delhi International Airport was 700 meters, an improvement from Wednesday night’s 300 meters. Flight operations continued to remain normal, officials said.

In view of the possibility of dense fog, an orange alert was issued for Delhi on Thursday and Friday, and a yellow alert for Saturday.

The city remains under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the strictest anti-pollution measures, which include a ban on construction activities and the entry of non-essential polluting trucks into Delhi.