Delhi's air quality 'very poor' amid cold wave, dense fog
What's the story
Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) are reeling under a cold wave and dense fog. At the same time, the Central Pollution Control Board reported an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 390 for Delhi on Sunday morning, a slight improvement from Saturday's 398 but still in the "very poor" category. Several monitoring stations reported even worse readings, with Chandni Chowk recording an AQI of 455, followed by Wazirpur (449), Bawana (446), Rohini (444), and Anand Vihar (438).
Regional impact
NCR cities also experience severe air pollution
The air quality in neighboring NCR cities was also very poor. Gurugram recorded an AQI of 354, Noida 352, and Ghaziabad 334. Faridabad fared slightly better with a "poor" AQI of 283. The pollution spike coincided with Delhi's first cold wave of the season, which saw temperatures plummet to a maximum of 16.9 degrees Celsius on Saturday, five notches below normal for December.
Travel disruption
Dense fog disrupts air travel in Delhi
The dense fog has also disrupted air travel, with at least 129 flights canceled at Delhi's airport on Saturday. However, flight operations returned to normal on Sunday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted dense to very dense fog during the overnight and early morning hours on Sunday and issued an orange alert for the capital.
Weather forecast
IMD forecasts continued fog and reduced visibility
The IMD has predicted maximum and minimum temperatures to hover around 23 degrees Celsius and nine degrees Celsius, respectively. It has also warned of reduced visibility across neighboring states such as Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana till Sunday morning. Isolated fog pockets are likely in Punjab and Haryana between December 25-27, with similar conditions expected in western Uttar Pradesh on December 26-27.
Pollution warning
Delhi Environment Minister warns of worsening conditions
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has warned a western disturbance could worsen weather and pollution conditions. He also warned of strict action against polluting industries and violations of the construction ban. Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan has been in force since December 13, banning construction and demolition activities, restricting open burning, barring non-BS VI vehicles from entering the city, denying fuel to vehicles without valid pollution certificates, and mandating work-from-home for 50% employees in government/private offices.