Dense fog in north India; Delhi’s air quality drops to ‘severe’ category

A thick layer of fog blanketed several parts of Delhi affecting visibility. The minimum temperature dropped to 3.5 degrees Celsius, lowest this winter season, in the national capital on Sunday and the air quality dropped to severe category.

Visibility levels have plunged to zero metres at several places and IMD has advised people to avoid unnecessary travel and to take precautions while driving.

Considering a deterioration in air quality, the Commission of Air Quality Management conducted an emergency meeting on Sunday and has invoked Stage-III of GRAP regulations. “CAQM Sub-Committee for operationalization of GRAP called on an emergency meeting today morning in view of sudden deterioration of air quality of Delhi-NCR from last evening. The Sub-Committee decides to invoke eight-point action plan as per Stage-III of revised GRAP in the entire NCR with immediate effect,” CAQM tweeted.

The Central Pollution Control Board recorded an AQI 456 at 1pm on Sunday. Under Stage-III curbs, non-essential construction work, stone crushing, and mining have been banned in Delhi-NCR. BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers cannot be operated in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.  

A spokesperson for the Railways said fog impacted the schedules of 22 trains arriving in Delhi. As many as nine flights were diverted at the Delhi airport on Sunday morning due to bad weather. These flights, including an international flight, were diverted to Jaipur between 4.30am to 10.30am.

An Air Quality Index (AQI) between zero and 50 is considered ‘good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 ‘very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 ‘severe-plus'.