Delhi woke up to another day of hazardous air on Monday, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 318 in the “very poor” category, a slight deterioration from 317 the previous evening. The city’s air quality has remained stubbornly in the “very poor” zone for most of the winter season so far, with only brief dips into “poor” and three consecutive “severe” days between November 11 and 13. The Central Pollution Control Board’s 8 a.m. bulletin showed several monitoring stations—including Anand Vihar (368), Jahangirpuri (359), and Punjabi Bagh (352)—flirting with the “severe” threshold, while PM2.5 continued to be the dominant pollutant. No significant relief is expected this week, as calm winds and low mixing heights persist despite an active western disturbance.

The minimum temperature rose further to 8.7°C, one degree below normal but markedly warmer than Friday’s season-low of 5.6°C. An approaching western disturbance has brought increased moisture and partially cloudy skies, trapping heat near the surface at night and pushing up nighttime temperatures. “The cloud cover is acting like a blanket,” explained an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official, adding that minimums are likely to hover between 8-11°C until Wednesday before dipping again to 6-8°C by Thursday-Friday as the disturbance moves away.

Daytime conditions offered little respite, with the maximum temperature forecast around 24°C under a thin veil of haze. Brief spells of stronger surface winds (15-20 kmph) were expected during the afternoon, but meteorologists cautioned that speeds would drop sharply after sunset, allowing pollutants to settle once more. The combination of low wind speed, high moisture, and emissions from local sources, vehicular exhaust, and stubble burning in neighbouring states continues to choke the capital.

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Health experts urged residents, especially children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions, to limit outdoor exposure and use N95 masks when venturing out. Hospitals have already reported a spike in asthma and bronchitis cases, with emergency visits up nearly 20 per cent compared to last week. Schools in several NCR districts have shifted younger classes online or shortened outdoor activities as a precautionary measure.

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage III restrictions remain in force across Delhi-NCR, including a ban on non-essential construction, older diesel vehicles, and restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars. Authorities intensified mechanical road sweeping and water sprinkling on major corridors, but enforcement challenges persist, particularly in peripheral areas and industrial clusters.

As the western disturbance clears by mid-week, colder northwesterly winds are likely to return, potentially pushing both pollution and temperatures lower. Until then, Delhiites face another stretch of toxic air and chilly but not biting nights, with the AQI expected to oscillate between “very poor” and the lower end of “severe” in the absence of any major meteorological intervention.

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