Delhi Chokes as AQI Hits 381; 13 Stations Slip Into ‘Severe’ Pollution Zone
National capital engulfed in toxic haze as winter pollution peaks.
Delhi’s air quality plunged deeper into the danger zone on Sunday morning, recording an overall Air Quality Index of 381 on the Central Pollution Control Board’s scale, firmly entrenched in the ‘very poor’ category and inching perilously close to the ‘severe’ threshold that triggers emergency health warnings across the national capital region.
Out of 38 active monitoring stations, 13 locations—including Anand Vihar, Jahangirpuri, Punjabi Bagh, and Wazirpur—crossed the critical 400 mark into the ‘severe’ zone, while the remaining 25 stations registered readings between 301 and 400, painting a grim picture of widespread toxic exposure for over 30 million residents already battling respiratory distress and reduced visibility.
Meteorological conditions have worsened the crisis, with the India Meteorological Department reporting a minimum temperature of 14 degrees Celsius—2.7 degrees above normal—and relative humidity at 86 percent at 8:30 a.m., creating a stagnant atmospheric layer that traps deadly particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) from vehicular emissions, construction dust, industrial output, and persistent stubble burning in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana.
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The forecast for the day offers little relief, predicting a maximum temperature of around 26 degrees Celsius under mainly clear skies but with shallow fog persisting through the morning and evening hours, further inhibiting pollutant dispersion and prolonging exposure to hazardous air that health experts warn can cause severe lung and heart complications, especially among children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions.
As Delhi grapples with yet another winter choked by toxic smog, the sustained ‘very poor’ AQI has reignited urgent demands for coordinated regional action, stricter enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan, and long-term solutions to curb the annual air apocalypse that continues to threaten public health and economic productivity in one of the world’s most polluted capitals.
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