The national capital woke up to dense smog on Sunday morning, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) nearing 500, placing it in the ‘severe’ category despite the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-IV being in force across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
Thick haze was reported in areas including Ghazipur, the ITO area and Anand Vihar, where visibility remained severely low.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed several localities across the city continued to record ‘severe’ air quality. Bawana registered the highest AQI at 497 at 7 am, followed by Narela at 492 and Okhla Phase II at 474. In contrast, NSIT Dwarka recorded the lowest AQI at 411, CPCB data showed.
A layer of toxic smog lingered over Anand Vihar, where the CPCB reported an AQI of 491. Other locations, including Ashok Vihar (493), ITO (483), DTU (495) and Nehru Nagar (479), also saw air quality deteriorate into the ‘severe’ category.
Najafgarh recorded an AQI of 408, while Shadipur stood at 411, indicating marginally better air quality than other areas, though still categorised as ‘severe’, the CPCB said.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Delhi government’s Directorate of Education directed all schools to conduct classes up to IX and XI in hybrid mode after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as the AQI approached the ‘severe’ mark.
According to the CPCB, the AQI ranges from 0 to 500 and is divided into six categories to reflect pollution levels and associated health risks.
Under the classification, AQI readings between 0 and 50 are considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’ and 401–500 ‘severe’.
An AQI reading in the ‘good’ category indicates minimal or no health impact, while ‘satisfactory’ air quality remains acceptable, though sensitive groups such as children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions may experience slight discomfort.
The ‘moderate’ category signals rising pollution levels that may cause respiratory issues among people with asthma, other lung conditions or heart disease.
Prolonged exposure to ‘poor’ air can cause breathing discomfort for most people, not just those with pre-existing conditions — a level that has become increasingly common in parts of the capital during winter.
Levels between 301 and 400, classified as ‘very poor’, pose a risk of respiratory illness even for healthy individuals with sustained exposure. The most hazardous category, ‘severe’, includes AQI readings from 401 to 500, at which air quality becomes dangerous for all.