Smog chokes Delhi-NCR as AQI breaches 400 mark in several places

Delhi-NCR awoke on Sunday, 9 November, beneath a suffocating shroud of smog — a heavy, ashen blanket that blurred skylines, dimmed the sun, and seeped into every breath. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) plummeted once again, sinking deep into the ‘very poor’ category, while several pockets crossed into the dreaded ‘severe’ zone, turning the capital into a gas chamber of its own making.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the 24-hour average AQI in Delhi stood at 361, with 24 of 39 monitoring stations recording levels above 400 — the sharpest spike of the season so far.

In areas such as Wazirpur (424), Bawana (424), and Vivek Vihar (415), pollution levels soared to alarming heights, while neighbourhoods including Rohini (435), Nehru Nagar (426), RK Puram (422), and ITO (420) found themselves enveloped in thick, acrid haze. Across the region, the air told the same grim story — Delhi and Noida at 391, Greater Noida at 366, Ghaziabad at 387, and even relatively better-off Gurugram at 252.

Saturday’s CPCB data had already crowned Delhi as the most polluted city in India, a title it seems unwilling to relinquish. The smog did not stop at the capital’s borders — Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad mirrored its toxic gloom, their skies heavy with invisible poisons.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that the weather would offer little relief. With minimum temperatures hovering around 13°C and no rain expected, cold winds and stagnant air were conspiring to trap pollutants closer to the ground. The familiar winter malaise — fog laced with smog — has returned, making mornings both misty and menacing.

Health experts have raised alarms over the mounting danger. Prolonged exposure to such air, they caution, can trigger respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, especially in children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions such as asthma.

The IMD explained that the falling temperature and reduced wind speed create a lid over the city, preventing pollutants from dispersing. Dust from construction sites, vehicular emissions, and industrial smoke continue to feed the haze, turning Delhi’s winter air into a slow, unseen poison.

Public health advisories urge residents to stay indoors, wear protective masks, and avoid early morning or late evening outings when pollution peaks.

As the city trudges through another winter of haze, the question lingers like the smog itself — how long can Delhi hold its breath?

With IANS inputs