Delhi’s Air Chokes, AQI Crosses 400, Visibility Drops
New Delhi: For the second consecutive day, the air pollution level in India’s capital, Delhi, remains in the hazardous category. This morning, the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed 400, exacerbating the respiratory risks with rising pollution and colder temperatures. Due to the toxic blanket of smog that covered the city in the morning, visibility at the airport dropped to just 300 meters. Upon AQI crossing the 400 mark, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has called an emergency meeting today.
Previously, the commission had warned local agencies to take stringent measures to control pollution. Despite the restrictions of two stages of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), pollution levels have reached the dangerous category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s average AQI was recorded at 434 in the morning. Specific readings included 426 in Dwarka, 460 in Dwarka Sector 8, 455 in Najafgarh, 435 at IGI Airport, 460 in Mundka, 412 at Pusa, 421 in Aya Nagar, 429 in Shadipur, 459 in Punjabi Bagh, 452 in RK Puram, 438 on Mandir Marg, 467 in Wazirpur, 452 in Rohini, 470 in Ashok Vihar, and 462 in Vivek Vihar.
It’s important to note that an AQI from 0-50 is considered “good,” 51-100 “satisfactory,” 101-200 “moderate,” 201-300 “poor,” 301-400 “very poor,” and 401-500 “severe.”
According to the India Meteorological Department, a layer of fog is likely to settle over Delhi in the mornings and evenings for the next 2-3 days. With temperatures dropping, fog is expected to increase, while wind speeds may pick up by the weekend. Dense fog is also predicted in Haryana and surrounding areas until November 16, as well as in Uttar Pradesh until November 15, with parts of Rajasthan also seeing heavy fog. The minimum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 16 degrees Celsius today.
This morning, visibility in the capital dropped to 300 meters, significantly slowing traffic. At 7 a.m., visibility at some airports across the country was below 1,000 meters. Reports indicated visibility was down to zero in Gorakhpur, 500 meters in Agra, 600 meters in Kanpur, 800 meters in Lucknow, and 300 meters at Palam in Delhi.
