Thick smog engulfs Delhi as air quality worsens, GRAP 4 measures invoked

PTC News Desk: Air pollution in Delhi and its surrounding areas, which had already entered the ‘severe’ category on Saturday, deteriorated further on Sunday as dense, toxic smog engulfed the city and nearby regions. The worsening conditions pushed air quality into the hazardous range and sharply reduced visibility in many areas.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s average air quality index (AQI) climbed to 461 by 7 am on Sunday, compared to 431 the previous day. All 40 air quality monitoring stations in the city reported ‘severe’ pollution levels, with several locations close to the maximum measurable limit. Rohini recorded the highest AQI at 499, followed by Bawana (498), Vivek Vihar (495), Ashok Vihar and Wazirpur (493 each), Narela (492), and Anand Vihar (491). Other parts of the capital also continued to suffer from extreme pollution, including ITO (485), Mundaka (486), Punjabi Bagh (478), Nehru Nagar (476), and both Chandni Chowk and Okhla (470).

The pollution crisis was not limited to Delhi alone, as several cities across the National Capital Region (NCR) also experienced dangerously high pollution levels. Noida recorded an AQI of 470, placing it in the ‘severe’ category, while Ghaziabad followed closely with 460. Gurugram’s air quality remained ‘very poor’ at 348, and Faridabad reported relatively lower but still troubling levels, with an AQI of 220, categorised as ‘poor’.