The national capital was once again covered by a thick blanket of haze and fog on Thursday morning, further worsening its air quality.
After remaining in the “poor” category for several days, the city’s air quality deteriorated to “very poor” as pollutants became trapped in the thick fog and calm winds..
At 8 am, Delhi’s overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 357, up from 279 a day earlier.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 408 and Vivek Vihar 415 both categorised as “severe.”
Other areas also reported alarming levels: Ashok Vihar (388), Aya Nagar (331), Bawana (387), Burari Crossing (369), Dwarka Sector-8 (371), IGI Airport T3 (320), ITO (370), Lodhi Road (334), Mundka (364), Najafgarh (338), Narela (371), Punjabi Bagh (368), Patparganj (386), RK Puram (374) and Siri Fort (381) — all falling in the “very poor” category.
CPCB data showed that 33 monitoring stations across Delhi recorded air quality in the “very poor” category, with readings exceeding 300.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe', according to the CPCB classification.
The city also experienced reduced visibility as fog and the calm winds trapped pollutants close to the ground.
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi stated that the city's ventilation index -- which indicates the atmosphere's ability to disperse pollutants -- remained below the favourable level of 6,000 m²/s.
Weak winds of less than 10 kmph and thick fog have prevented pollutants from dispersing, resulting in a hazy sky, it stated.
Early Thursday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported visibility of 1,000 metres in Palam and 800 metres in Safdarjung, both experiencing calm wind conditions.
Areas such as Kartavya Path, Anand Vihar, Burari and Akshardham were shrouded in fog during the early morning hours.
Vivek Vihar and Anand Vihar recorded "severe" air quality levels with AQI readings of 415 and 408, respectively.
Multiple Truck-mounted water sprinklers were deployed to different parts of the city in an attempt to combat air pollution.
The minimum temperature settled at 20.1 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal, while the humidity stood at 90 per cent at 8:30 am.
The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 30 degrees Celsius, with shallow fog expected during the evening, the IMD said.
Post-Diwali, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has been reeling under the 'poor' and 'very poor' categories in several areas, even as Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) remains in effect.
Meanwhile, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Wednesday announced doubling of parking fees across the national capital after the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-II was invoked due to deteriorating air quality.
The decision, aimed at discouraging the use of private vehicles, will see parking charges double for off-road and indoor parking areas managed by the NDMC.
Additionally, the CAQM has prohibited the entry of commercial goods vehicles registered outside the national capital that remain non-compliant with BS-VI emission standards from November 1.
According to the notification, non-BS-VI compliant commercial goods vehicles are allowed to enter Delhi only until October 31, 2026.
The Delhi government completed two consecutive cloud seeding operations as part of its robust air quality management strategy.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that with this move, the national capital has taken an unprecedented, science-first step by adopting cloud seeding as a tool to control air pollution.
Meanwhile, questioning the exercise’s effectiveness, AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said at a press conference that there was “no rain anywhere” despite official claims.
“For the past few days, it was said that cloud seeding had been done in various areas of Delhi, but there was no rain anywhere,” he said.
Bharadwaj cited statements made in Parliament earlier this year, where three central agencies—the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)—had reportedly said that cloud seeding was not suitable for Delhi due to meteorological and chemical constraints.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
