Pollution peaks again: Calm winds, cold mornings trap Delhi in toxic haze

Delhi’s air quality dropped from “poor” to “very poor” on October 30, 2025, due to haze and fog trapping pollutants.

At 8 am, Delhi’s overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 357, up from 279 a day earlier.

Thirty-three monitoring stations recorded AQI levels above 300 in the “very poor” range, with Anand Vihar (408) and Vivek Vihar (415) touching “severe” levels, CPCB data showed.

The minimum temperature was 20.1°C, four degrees above normal, with 90% humidity at 8:30 a.m. The IMD forecast a maximum of around 30°C and shallow evening fog.

Visibility dropped sharply to 1,000 m at Palam and 800 m at Safdarjung. Authorities used water sprinklers and anti-smog guns, doubled parking fees, and restricted non-BS-VI vehicles.