NEW DELHI: Delhi residents woke up to another day of toxic air quality on Wednesday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) hovering above 440 in the “severe” category, even as Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) IV restrictions remained in effect across the capital and NCR.
The AQI stood at 442 at around 7am, with some monitoring stations reporting even worse conditions in the “severe-plus” category.
Of the 37 monitoring stations listed on the Sameer app, which provides hourly updates on the National Air Quality Index, 21 stations recorded AQI levels in the severe-plus category on Tuesday morning. Some of the worst affected areas included Nehru Nagar (480), Alipur (471), Anand Vihar (481), CRRI Mathura Road (468), Jahangirpuri (468), and Rohini (466).
The toxic air had a significant impact on visibility across the city. Early morning visuals showed a marked reduction in visibility, with low-visibility procedures being implemented at the Delhi airport after conditions dropped to 300 meters.
The situation is expected to worsen in the coming days, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting a further drop in temperatures and shallow fog in various parts of the city, owing to calm winds and high humidity.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), AQI levels are categorized as follows: 0-50 is considered “good,” 51-100 is “satisfactory,” 101-200 is “moderate,” 201-300 is “poor,” 301-400 is “very poor,” 401-450 is “severe,” and above 450 is “severe plus.”
The last time Delhi’s AQI crossed into the severe-plus category was in mid-November. In response to the worsening air quality, authorities re-imposed Stage 4 of the GRAP on Monday night, which includes measures such as a ban on construction activities and restrictions on the entry of trucks into the city. Schools in Delhi-NCR switched to hybrid classes on Tuesday, with many principals voicing concerns about disruptions to normal school operations.
Some schools issued notices to parents urging them to send their children to school in person, as online classes would not include interactive or activity-based sessions, making it difficult for teachers to manage both online and offline students simultaneously. As Delhi continues to grapple with toxic air quality, many residents are calling for more long-term solutions to address the city’s chronic pollution problem.