Afghanistan Iran Pakistan dust storm pushes Delhi AQI to 246
India
Delhi's air just went from "Good" to "Poor" almost overnight; AQI shot up to 246 on July 13, after enjoying a rare clean-air day at 48 thanks to the monsoon.
The sudden spike is because of a dust storm that traveled all the way from Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, carried in by strong winds and pushing PM10 levels up across the city.
Delhi authorities delay GRAP stage 1
Even with the jump in pollution, authorities haven't kicked off GRAP Stage one restrictions yet; they're hoping things will improve as the dust settles down.
For now, local teams have been told to ramp up dust control on the ground.
Officials say they'll keep an eye on things and step in if it doesn't get better soon.