Air quality improves slightly, but remains in ‘very poor’ category, AQI reaches…; Check area-wise pollution level here
National capital Delhi witnessed slight improvement in air quality on Wednesday morning; According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 328 around 8 am and remained in the ‘very poor’ category.
Delhi residents have endured another challenging day as thick fog and smog covered a significant part of the national capital, severely affecting visibility and increasing health concerns. Visuals taken on Wednesday morning in areas such as Anand Vihar and ITO revealed a thick layer of toxic smoke covering roads, buildings and traffic lanes. Even well-known landmarks like Akshardham Temple were barely visible through the fog.
AQI improving slightly
National capital Delhi witnessed slight improvement in air quality on Wednesday morning; According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 328 around 8 am and remained in the ‘very poor’ category.
Air quality improved slightly from Tuesday as AQI was 354 at 4pm. However, large parts of the city remain covered in toxic smoke and overall air quality remains poor.
Anand Vihar was shrouded in thick smog with an AQI of 341, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category. Areas around IGI Airport, ITO, Dhaula Kuan, AIIMS and Ghazipur National Highway 24 were also covered in a thick layer of fog.
According to CPCB data, air quality continued to be poor in various parts of the capital, including Bawana (376), ITO (360), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (324) and Narela (342), falling under the ‘very poor’ category. Wazirpur also recorded poor air quality with an AQI of 359.
However, slight differences in air quality were seen in many parts of Delhi on Wednesday morning. For example, Burari Crossing’s AQI was recorded as 298 (Poor); this is comparatively better than other locations in the city. Other areas such as IGI Airport Terminal 3 (263), IIT Delhi (300) and CRRI Mathura Road (297) also recorded improvement in air quality but remained in the ‘poor’ category.
According to the CPCB classification, 0-50 is ‘good’, 51-100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 is ‘moderate’, 201-300 is ‘poor’, 301-400 is ‘very poor’ and 401-500 is ‘severe’.
Consultancy on airline problems
Worsening weather conditions also affected transportation. IndiGo issued a travel alert on Tuesday night and warned passengers about reduced visibility and slowdown of flight operations on Wednesday morning.
The airline stated that fog in Northern and Eastern India may cause delays or changes in flight schedules. It also warned that road traffic may move slowly, advising passengers to allow extra time and check flight updates before departure.
Earlier, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced that stringent measures will be taken to reduce vehicular pollution in the national capital. According to the official statement, the minister stated that vehicles without a valid Pollution Control Certificate (PUCC) will not be supplied with fuel from petrol pumps in Delhi from December 18.
