Dense smog engulfs Delhi-NCR, air quality remains in ‘severe’ category
New Delhi: A thick blanket of smog covered Delhi and its surrounding areas on Monday morning, with air quality continuing to remain in the ‘severe’ range across the National Capital Region, triggering serious health concerns.
Visibility dropped considerably in several localities, disrupting early morning travel. Data from the Air Quality Early Warning System showed the city’s overall Air Quality Index at 457 at 6 am.
Scenes across the capital revealed heavy haze hanging in the air, reducing visibility to a few metres in some areas. The India Meteorological Department had also forecast dense fog during the morning and forenoon, with similar conditions recorded at the Safdarjung observatory.
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 23 degrees Celsius, while the minimum settled at 8 degrees Celsius. Pollution levels remained critically high at various monitoring stations. The AQI in the Akshardham area touched 493, while Dwarka Sector-14 reported a reading of 469, both categorised as ‘severe’ by the Central Pollution Control Board.
In areas such as Wazirpur, Rohini and Ashok Vihar, the 24-hour average AQI hit 500, the highest level measurable by monitoring equipment, highlighting the severity of the pollution crisis.
According to CPCB standards, AQI readings between 101 and 200 are considered ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and anything above 400 is classified as ‘severe’. For emergency response, levels of 450 and above fall under ‘severe plus’, although official AQI values are capped at 500.
In response to the deteriorating air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management implemented Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan across Delhi-NCR. This highest level of restrictions is triggered when the AQI crosses 450 and aims to prevent further pollution while minimising public exposure.
As part of the measures, all construction and demolition activities have been suspended, and operations of stone crushers and mining units have been stopped. Authorities have also tightened curbs on vehicles, particularly polluting four-wheelers, in an effort to reduce emissions amid the worsening air quality.
(with inputs from agencies)
