Delhi Suffocates as Air Quality Hits ‘Severe’ Category; IMD Issues Cold-Wave Alerts Across India
Delhi chokes as air quality plunges into the severe zone despite control measures.
Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Saturday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) remaining in the ‘severe’ category across most parts of the city and adjoining National Capital Region (NCR). Despite the implementation of Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which imposes stricter pollution control measures, residents continued to experience respiratory distress and hazardous pollution levels. Ashok Vihar recorded an AQI of 426 early Saturday, a level classified as “severe” by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The 24-hour average AQI on Friday was 387, placing the air quality in the “very poor” range.
The Centre’s pollution mitigation body, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), is considering installing dust sensors along major roads in Delhi and NCR to monitor road dust—a major contributor to particulate pollution. These sensors are intended to provide real-time data to identify pollution hotspots and enforce targeted cleanliness measures such as road watering and construction activity restrictions.
In related developments, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta recently flagged off 50 electric buses to reduce vehicular emissions and laid the foundation stone for an automated vehicle testing station in Tehkhand. She emphasized the government’s commitment to tackling the pollution crisis through clear policies and long-term strategies.
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On the weather front, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted clear skies with night-time mist and haze across Delhi and much of northern India. The IMD also issued severe cold-wave alerts covering broad swaths of central, northern, and western India. Regions in the southeast are expected to receive rain and thunderstorms, while foggy mornings are forecast in many parts due to low night temperatures hovering around 10 degrees Celsius in Delhi.
The confluence of stagnant weather, low wind speeds, and ongoing local emissions has worsened Delhi’s toxic air, raising significant public health concerns as winter deepens. Authorities continue urging citizens to take precautionary measures and adhere to pollution control advisories to mitigate the health impact of this prolonged smog episode.
