New Delhi: Delhi continued to face a severe air pollution crisis on Tuesday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 397 at 7 am, placing the city’s air in the “very poor” category.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), there was a marginal improvement compared to Monday morning, when the AQI stood at 418 in the “severe” category. However, air quality across several parts of the capital remained alarming.
Pollution hotspots such as Anand Vihar and Ashok Vihar recorded AQI levels of 444 each, while Wazirpur touched 446. Other areas including Punjabi Bagh (437), RK Puram (421), Bawana (418), ITO (414), Chandni Chowk (412) and Dwarka Sector 8 (412) also remained in the “severe” category, indicating serious health risks.
As per AQI standards, values between 301 and 400 are classified as “very poor,” while readings above 401 fall in the “severe” category.
Poor visibility added to the crisis as cold wave conditions persisted in the capital. The India Meteorological Department reported dense fog in the morning hours, with temperatures around 8.2 degrees Celsius at 7 am.
Authorities have advised residents to limit outdoor activities and follow health advisories amid hazardous air conditions. Rehearsals for the 77th Republic Day parade are continuing at Kartavya Path under tight monitoring.
In response to worsening pollution levels, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has re-imposed Stage-IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi and the National Capital Region.
The CAQM has also flagged serious gaps in the implementation of Stage-III and Stage-IV GRAP measures, noting non-compliance ranging from 7 percent to nearly 100 percent in several mandated actions. The Commission said its monitoring control room is closely tracking daily enforcement efforts by concerned agencies to curb air pollution.
