Delhi's air quality deteriorates by the day ahead of Diwali. What will happen when the night erupts into fireworks, with toxic smog already gripping the national capital?
Delhi and neighbouring NCR areas were blanketed by a thick layer of toxic haze on Tuesday morning as the city's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) surged to 452 at 8 am. With pollution levels continuing to worsen, the capital has slipped into the severe category.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), eight of the 57 monitoring stations in Delhi recorded severe air quality at 9 am, while 32 stations were in the very poor category.
Areas including Rohini, Punjabi Bagh and Bawana recorded an AQI of 429, 424 and 408 respectively. Other parts of the city also recorded very poor air quality.
Jahangirpuri recorded the highest reading at 452 in the "severe" category.
Patparganj recorded an AQI of 379, R K Puram registered 374, and ITO recorded 373. Okhla Phase-2 and Chandni Chowk reported AQI levels of 352 each. Meanwhile, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium recorded 355, and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) stood at 328.
IGI Airport's Terminal 3 recorded an AQI of 287, followed by Anand Vihar at 279, Uttam Nagar at 274 and IMD Lodhi Road at 226.
GRAP II restrictions imposed across Delhi-NCR
In the wake of worsening air pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Monday invoked Stage-II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the NCR.
With the restrictions imposed, Delhi Police conducted vehicle inspections and checks at the Ghazipur border as restrictions under GRAP-II came into effect.
Poor air quality—especially when driven by high concentrations of fine particulate matter PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide, ground-level ozone, and sulfur dioxide—affects almost every major organ system. Fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres are particularly hazardous because they bypass the nose and throat, penetrating deep into the lungs and entering the bloodstream.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is classified as good, 51 and 100 as satisfactory, 101 and 200 as moderate, 201 and 300 as poor, 301 and 400 as very poor, and 401 and 500 as severe.
