Delhi woke up on Tuesday to a thick, grey haze blanketing its skyline as the city’s air quality deteriorated sharply overnight, prompting authorities to invoke emergency measures to curb pollution.
File Photo: IANS
Delhi woke up on Tuesday to a thick, grey haze blanketing its skyline as the city’s air quality deteriorated sharply overnight, prompting authorities to invoke emergency measures to curb pollution.
At 9 am, the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 425, a level categorised as “severe”, up from 362 recorded just a day earlier, according to official data.
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The spike was attributed to calm winds, a stable atmosphere, and meteorological conditions that trapped pollutants close to the ground, officials said.
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With the air growing increasingly toxic, the Commission for Air Quality Management’s Sub-Committee ordered the immediate enforcement of Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region (NCR).
The measures that are being implemented are reserved for severe air quality conditions when the AQI ranges between 401 and 450, which come on top of restrictions already in place under Stages I and II.
Stage III restrictions include a ban on nonessential construction, closure of stone crushers and brick kilns, and curbs on diesel generator use, among other emergency steps aimed at preventing further deterioration.
The swift escalation underscores the seasonal pattern of air pollution that has long plagued Delhi and its surrounding areas, a toxic mix of vehicle emissions, industrial smoke, and crop residue burning from neighbouring states.
Each winter, stagnant weather patterns and low wind speeds trap these pollutants over the city, turning its air into a visible, hazardous shroud.
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