Delhiites wake up to hazardous air, AQI crosses 400 at 27 stations

Delhi woke up to a thick, choking blanket of fog and haze on Tuesday morning, as air pollution surged to alarming levels across the city, sending the Air Quality Index (AQI) deep into the “severe” category.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 27 out of 40 monitoring stations recorded AQI readings above 400, exposing residents to dangerously hazardous air.

At 9 am, the city registered an AQI of 415, marking a sharp deterioration from the “very poor” levels observed the previous day, as pollution continued its relentless climb. Five stations recorded readings above 450 — Anand Vihar at 470, Nehru Nagar at 463, Okhla and Mundka at 459 each, and Sirifort at 450 — plunging them into the “severe plus” bracket, a level known to have serious health consequences.

Dense fog compounded the misery, sharply reducing visibility across the capital. At 8 am, Palam recorded a mere 50 metres, while Safdarjung saw 100 metres under calm winds, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). By 8.30 am, visibility improved slightly, reaching 100 metres at Palam and 150 metres at Safdarjung, though the city remained enveloped in a ghostly, grey haze.

The mercury dipped to a minimum of 8.8 degrees Celsius, marginally above normal, while daytime temperatures are expected to hover around a pleasant 23 degrees Celsius. Yet, the IMD cautioned that dense fog is likely to linger throughout the day, casting a shroud over the capital.

As Delhi struggles under this dual assault of smog and fog, residents are bracing for a day of hazardous air and limited visibility, with health experts urging caution, particularly for children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.

With PTI inputs