Delhi air quality shows marginal improvement, some areas move to ‘moderate’

Delhi recorded a modest improvement in air quality on Thursday morning, a day after authorities withdrew the most stringent curbs under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), citing a sustained fall in pollution levels across the capital and the National Capital Region.

While the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) continued to be classified as ‘poor’ at 221, several monitoring stations reported ‘moderate’ readings, offering some relief after weeks of ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ pollution.

Data showed that IGI Airport recorded an AQI of 119, Lodhi Road 133 and Sir Aurobindo Marg 159, all falling in the ‘moderate’ category. Akshardham registered a ‘poor’ reading of 245, while India Gate and Kartavya Path continued to remain in the ‘very poor’ range at 350.

According to official classifications, AQI levels between 101 and 200 are considered ‘moderate’, while readings from 201 to 300 fall under ‘poor’.

The improvement follows a sharp drop in pollution levels on Wednesday, when the city’s average AQI fell to 271 from over 400 recorded the previous afternoon.

The decline prompted the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to lift GRAP Stage IV restrictions, which had been imposed on December 13 when air quality deteriorated to the ‘severe’ category.

Despite the easing of curbs, officials stressed that preventive measures under GRAP Stages I, II and III will remain in force to prevent a fresh spike in pollution.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has issued a warning for dense to very dense fog in Delhi and neighbouring regions during morning hours. Similar fog conditions are expected across parts of north, central and eastern India, potentially impacting visibility and travel.

Authorities said they will continue to closely monitor air quality trends and reintroduce stricter measures if pollution levels worsen.

With IANS inputs