Delhi woke up to ‘very poor’ air quality on Sunday, with a thick layer of smog enveloping several parts of the city. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi teetered on the brink of ‘very poor’, while Noida experienced ‘severe’ air quality, with an AQI of 415. Data from the Sameer app, developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), revealed Delhi’s overall AQI at 391 as of 6:05 a.m. on Sunday.
Out of the 39 active air quality monitoring stations in Delhi, 20 stations reported air quality in the “severe” category. Areas like Anand Vihar, Shadipur, Jahangirpuri, Chandni Chowk, and Wazirpur were among the worst-affected, with AQI levels ranging from 415 to 445. ITO recorded an AQI of 402, while NSIT Dwarka fared relatively better at 214.
The CPCB’s classification categorizes AQI readings as follows: 51-100 (‘satisfactory’), 101-200 (‘moderate’), 201-300 (‘poor’), 301-400 (‘very poor’), and above 400 (‘severe’). On Saturday, Delhi’s air quality had deteriorated to ‘severe’ levels, with an AQI of 385 at 4 p.m., escalating to 391 by 10 p.m. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for Sunday morning in Delhi, warning of dense fog and cold wave-like conditions.
Meteorological experts have warned of sustained high pollution levels in the coming days due to western disturbances affecting north India. The weather department has reissued a yellow alert, advising residents about moderate to dense fog in Delhi and nearby regions.
