Delhi and its surrounding areas are facing one of the worst air quality crisis since before Diwali. A thick layer of fog and haze covered the national capital on Thursday, trapping pollutants and thus, worsening the city’s air quality. After staying in the poor range for the past few days, the air has now fallen into the ‘very poor’ category. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) rose to 357, up from 279 on Wednesday. The drop in air quality also led to lower visibility in many areas, as fog and still winds kept pollutants from dispersing.
Thick fog worsens Delhi’s air
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi said that the city’s ventilation index, which measures how well the air can disperse pollutants, stayed below the ideal level of 6,000 m²/s, a PTI report said. Weak winds blowing at less than 10 kmph and thick fog have trapped pollutants near the ground, leaving the sky covered in haze.
At 7:30 am, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported visibility of 1,000 metres in Palam and 800 metres in Safdarjung, with both areas experiencing calm wind conditions. Several parts of Delhi, including Kartavya Path, Anand Vihar, Burari, and Akshardham, were blanketed in fog early in the morning.
Air Quality turns ‘severe’ in many parts of Delhi
According to CPCB data, air quality in Vivek Vihar and Anand Vihar reached “severe” levels, with AQI readings of 415 and 408, respectively. Across Delhi, 33 monitoring stations recorded “very poor” air quality with readings above 300.
As per the CPCB, an AQI between 0–50 is “good”, 51–100 “satisfactory”, 101–200 “moderate”, 201–300 “poor”, 301–400 “very poor”, and 401–500 “severe”.
Meanwhile, the minimum temperature was recorded at 20.1°C, four degrees above normal, with humidity at 90% at 8:30 am. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 30°C, and shallow fog may return in the evening, according to the IMD.