New Delhi, Nov 9 (UDN): Delhi woke up to a thick blanket of toxic smog on Monday, a day after Diwali celebrations, as air pollution levels surged across the national capital, with several monitoring stations recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 400, placing them in the 'severe' category.
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A dense layer of haze covered several neighbourhoods, including Inderlok, significantly reducing visibility during the morning hours and raising fresh concerns over the health risks posed by deteriorating air quality.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) monitoring data, Ghazipur recorded an AQI of 418, while the reading near Akshardham stood at 337, falling under the 'very poor' category.
Burari Crossing emerged as one of the worst-affected locations, recording an AQI of 441. Vivek Vihar followed at 437, while Delhi Technological University (DTU) registered 434. North Campus of Delhi University and Jahangirpuri both recorded 433, while Rohini reported 430.
Other locations in the severe category included Mundka (417), Punjabi Bagh (409), NIH Narela (407) and ITO (407).
Several other monitoring stations also reported alarming pollution levels. CRRI Mathura Road recorded an AQI of 396, Aya Nagar 386, Talkatora Garden 384, NSUT Jaffarpur 378 and Lodhi Road 370. Mandir Marg registered 369, Wazirpur 365, R K Puram 364, Badarpur and IHBAS Dilshad Garden 363 each, while Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range recorded 361.
Najafgarh reported an AQI of 340, Anand Vihar 335, IMD Lodhi Road 323, Ashok Vihar 319 and Sri Aurobindo Marg 267. Data for IIT Delhi and Dwarka Sector 8 was unavailable.
GRAP Stage III Restrictions Already in Force
The sharp deterioration in air quality comes after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR on Friday, ahead of Diwali, anticipating a further rise in pollution levels.
The emergency measures cover Delhi and adjoining districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. They are intended to curb pollution through stricter enforcement and additional restrictions before air quality deteriorates further.
Stage III measures include restrictions on construction and demolition activities, tighter controls on polluting vehicles and hybrid learning arrangements for younger school students, among other interventions.
Mumbai and Lucknow Also Wake Up to Hazy Skies
The impact of deteriorating air quality was also visible in other cities. Mumbai witnessed hazy conditions, with smog covering parts of Kalanagar and Bandra.
Kherwadi-Bandra East recorded an AQI of 264, followed by Sewri at 226, Ghatkopar at 221 and Chembur at 216. Byculla registered 193, Mindspace-Malad West 191, Kandivali West 187 and Worli 148. Kurla recorded a comparatively lower AQI of 96.
Meanwhile, several parts of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh also woke up to hazy conditions as a layer of smog covered the city.
Understanding AQI Levels
According to CPCB classification, an AQI of 0–50 is considered 'good', 51–100 'satisfactory', 101–200 'moderate', 201–300 'poor', 301–400 'very poor' and 401–500 'severe'.
The GRAP framework operates through four progressively stricter stages. Stage I targets pollution levels in the poor category, while Stage II focuses on very poor air quality. Stage III applies stricter emergency controls when AQI enters the severe range, and Stage IV introduces additional restrictions when pollution reaches the severe-plus category, above 450.
The CAQM coordinates the implementation of these measures with the CPCB and concerned state authorities, based on pollution forecasts and meteorological assessments from the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
With several parts of Delhi recording severe pollution levels after Diwali, the latest readings underline the continuing challenge of controlling air pollution in the national capital and the wider NCR region.
