Delhi’s air turned visibly murkier on Sunday as toxic smog blanketed the skyline, blurring buildings and bringing another sharp spike in pollution levels. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) soared to 366, plunging deep into the ‘very poor’ category marking the second highest 24-hour for this season after Friday’s reading of 373.
Particulate Matter (PM2.5) remained the dominant pollutant behind the capital’s worsening air, CPCB’s 4 pm bulletin noted. Of the 39 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi, 28 recorded ‘very poor’ air, while three slipped into the ‘severe’ zone. The worst-hit areas included Wazirpur (416), Burari (403 ), and Vivek Vihar (401).
As per CPCB’s classification, an AQI between 301 and 400 is deemed ‘very poor’, while readings above 400 fall in the ‘severe’ range, posing serious health risks, especially for children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.
The city woke up under a toxic and suffocating blanket of smog on Sunday morning as air quality nosedived to severe territory. According to CPCB data, the AQI around AIIMS skyrocketed to 421, joining a growing list of hotspots across Delhi reporting readings well beyond 400.
Several areas bore the brunt: Wazirpur, RK Puram, Punjabi Bagh, Chandni Chowk, and Rohini all recorded “severe” category pollution levels.
Dense morning fog combined with near-zero wind speeds trapped pollutants at ground level, disabling the city’s natural ventilation and sealing in the haze.
The situation improved slightly during the day, thanks to the winds. Westerly winds prevailed over Delhi in the past 24 hours with speeds gusting up to 30 Kmph, according to the data recorded by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) until 6 p.m.
While no large change was noted in the city’s maximum temperatures in the last 24 hours, which settled at 30.7°C in the near normal range, the minimum temperature recorded a drop of 2.6°C and stood at 16.8°C.
For Monday, the Met Department forecast mainly clear sky with smog/shallow fog during the morning hours.