Delhi's air turns 'severe,' thick fog brings city to a standstill
Delhi woke up to "severe" air quality on Sunday, with AQI levels hitting 439 and some spots like Anand Vihar and Punjabi Bagh nearing 500.
At the same time, dense fog reduced visibility to zero at Safdarjung and to about 100 meters at Palam, leading the IMD to issue a yellow alert for very dense fog across Delhi-NCR.
Why does this matter?
With pollution spiking, authorities have rolled out strict GRAP Stage-IV rules—think bans on non-essential trucks and tighter construction curbs—to help clear the air.
The thick fog isn't just an eyesore: about 35% of departures and 27% of arrivals at Indira Gandhi International Airport were delayed, dozens of trains are running late by hours, and schools in Delhi-NCR have shifted classes, except those in Classes 10 and 12, to a hybrid mode so students can stay safe indoors.