Delhi chokes as AQI remains 'very poor' for the eighth consecutive day

A thick layer of smog enveloped Delhi on Friday morning (November 21), leaving residents struggling to breathe as the air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category at 373, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), despite a marginal improvement from the previous day.

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Several areas stayed just below the ‘severe’ mark, with Delhi recording a 24-hour average AQI of 370 at 9 am on Friday. This reportedly marks the eighth consecutive day that the national capital’s AQI has remained in the ‘very poor’ range.

Delhi’s worsening AQI

Data from CPCB’s Sameer app showed that 13 out of 39 air monitoring stations registered AQI levels in the ‘severe’ category, with Wazirpur emerging as the worst affected at 442.

More than 18 monitoring stations recorded AQI readings above 400. These included Chandni Chowk, Anand Vihar, Mundka, Bawana, Narela, DTU and Wazirpur, many of which regularly cross the 400-450 range.

As per CPCB standards, 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’.

Only three monitoring stations, IHBAS Dilshad Garden (255), Lodhi Road (286) and Mandir Marg (278), recorded ‘poor’ air quality. The majority of areas, however, remained above the ‘very poor’ threshold.

Pollution hotspots

Key pollution hotspots such as Anand Vihar (412), Bawana (430), Burari Crossing (404), Jahangirpuri (433), Mundka (435), Narela (408), RK Puram (406) and Rohini (421) all reported AQI levels in the ‘severe’ category.

On Thursday (November 20), the capital’s AQI was 391, close to the ‘severe’ mark, while data for Wednesday (November 19) and Tuesday (November 18) recorded readings of 392 and 374, respectively.

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According to the Decision Support System of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, vehicular emissions contributed 17.3 per cent to Delhi’s pollution on Thursday, while stubble burning accounted for 2.8 per cent.

For Friday, these parameters are projected to comprise 16.2 per cent and 1.8 per cent of the capital city's pollutants, respectively.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences’ Air Quality Early Warning System has cautioned that Delhi’s air quality is likely to slip into the ‘severe’ zone and remain between ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ for the next six days, owing to stagnant winds and winter inversion.

Air pollution in NCR

In the National Capital Region (NCR), Ghaziabad recorded the highest pollution levels with an AQI of 431 in the ‘severe’ category. Faridabad was the least polluted, reporting ‘poor’ air quality at 242, followed by Gurugram at 294.

Noida’s air quality nearly breached the ‘severe’ threshold with an AQI of 400, while Greater Noida registered 377, categorised as ‘very poor’.

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 11.4°C, 0.9°C below normal, while the maximum stood at 28.2°C, 0.4°C above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

For Friday, the IMD has predicted moderate fog, with temperatures expected to settle around 27°C (maximum) and 12°C (minimum).

Public health emergency?

Surveys indicate that nearly 80 per cent of households in Delhi-NCR have had at least one family member fall ill due to toxic air in the past month, according to a Hindustan Times report.

Experts have reportedly termed this a ‘public health emergency’, noting substantial evidence that pollution reduces life expectancy.

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Doctors added that while masks and air purifiers offer some protection, a year-round policy overhaul is essential to effectively address the issue.

AIIMS specialists warned that air pollution has reached “medical emergency” proportions, with hospitals reporting a 10-15 per cent surge in respiratory and pollution-related cases.