Delhi on Tuesday registered its first “severe” air quality day of the year as the overall Air Quality Index rose to 428, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. The update of the daily AQI bulletin, usually released by 4 p.m., was delayed by several hours for the second consecutive day, with officials offering no immediate explanation.
The air quality, locked in the “very poor” bracket for several days, slipped further during the morning as stagnant weather and local emissions intensified pollution levels. An AQI above 400 indicates hazardous conditions, posing serious health risks to even healthy individuals and severely affecting those with respiratory or cardiac ailments. Delhi last recorded such conditions in December 2024.
With pollution climbing into the red zone, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that schools up to Class 5 would operate in hybrid mode, both online and offline, to shield young children from exposure. At a high-level review meeting, she directed strict enforcement of Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan, expanded enforcement teams to 2,088 and ordered immediate action against construction sites violating norms.
Gupta also instructed agencies to intensify dust control by paving open areas, installing 300 mist-spray systems by 30 November, ensuring proper waste management and curbing open and biomass burning. She said the government was tackling the pollution crisis in “mission mode”, with seriousness and accountability.
Also read: Delhi Police detain air pollution protesters at India Gate
As per CPCB classification, AQI between 0 and 50 is “good”; 51–100 “satisfactory”; 101–200 “moderate”; 201–300 “poor”; 301–400 “very poor”; and 401–500 “severe”.
Data from the Decision Support System showed stubble burning contributed 6.5 per cent to Delhi’s pollution on Tuesday, while transport remained the largest contributor at 18.2 per cent. For Wednesday, stubble burning is projected to account for 5.3 per cent and vehicle emissions 18.9 per cent.
Satellite-based observations on Monday recorded 133 farm fires in Punjab, 30 in Haryana, 154 in Uttar Pradesh and one in Delhi. The Air Quality Early Warning System forecast that Delhi’s air quality would remain in the “very poor” category from Wednesday.
Temperatures dipped further, with the minimum at 10.2°C, 4.1 degrees below normal, and the maximum at 27.7°C, 1.8 degrees below normal. The weather department has forecast shallow fog on Wednesday morning, with temperatures likely to hover around 27°C and 11°C.
Follow us
