Delhi’s Air Quality Slips into Severe Category

Alarming pollution levels were recorded in several parts of the city, with AQI readings crossing the 400 mark. According to CPCB data, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 412, Alipur reported 415 and Bawana recorded the highest level at 436. Chandni Chowk recorded an AQI of 409, while RK Puram and Patparganj recorded 422 and 425 respectively. Sonia Vihar also recorded a ‘severe’ AQI of 415, indicating hazardous weather conditions in the city.

Earlier on Saturday, air quality in the national capital remained in the ‘very poor’ category in the morning hours, with Delhi’s overall AQI reading standing at 355 as of 8 am.

Air quality in the national capital on Friday fell to the “very poor” category, with Delhi’s overall AQI at 312, according to the CPCB. On Thursday, Delhi’s overall AQI recorded at 8 am was 271, which is categorized as ‘poor’, according to CPCB data.

Many monitoring stations across the city have consistently recorded ‘very poor’ air quality levels over the past week. Anand Vihar reported AQI of 332, Alipur 316, Ashok Vihar 332, Bawana 366, Burari Crossing 345, Chandni Chowk 354, Dwarka Sector-8 310, ITO 337, Jahangirpuri 342, Mundka 335, Narela 335, Okhla Phase-II 307. Patparganj 314, Punjabi Bagh 343, RK Puram 321, Rohini 336 and Sonia Vihar 326 — all were classified as ‘very poor’ as of 8 am, according to CPCB’s live air quality index.

Since Diwali, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has been floundering under the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories in many areas, even as Phase 2 of the Gradual Response Action Plan (GRAP) remains in force.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has already announced that parking charges in the national capital will be doubled following the launch of GRAP Phase II due to deteriorating air quality.

According to the CPCB, an AQI of 0 to 50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’ and 401–500 ‘severe’.