Delhi air quality: AQI remains ‘very poor’; dense fog disrupts travel

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s air quality remained a serious concern on Friday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 346 at 7 am, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, according to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Several areas across the national capital reported AQI levels exceeding 300.

Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 354, while Ashok Vihar stood at 367 and ITO at 362. RK Puram registered 374, Patparganj 372, Wazirpur 374, Chandni Chowk 370, and Dwarka Sector 8 reported 369, as per CPCB data available at 7 am, according to news agency ANI.





As per the AQI classification, readings between 0 and 50 are considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.

The national capital is also experiencing cold wave conditions, with temperatures dropping to around 5.4 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Several airports across northern and eastern India witnessed severely reduced visibility due to dense to very dense fog, based on official data reported at 5.30 am. Airports in Amritsar, Adampur, Chandigarh, Pathankot, Hindon, and Saharanpur recorded zero metres of visibility, with very dense fog prevailing in these regions.

Extremely poor visibility was reported across Punjab, Chandigarh, and parts of western Uttar Pradesh, raising concerns over delays and disruptions in air and surface transport. Palam recorded visibility of 800 metres, while Safdarjung reported 700 metres amid shallow fog.

Moderate fog conditions were observed at other locations as well. Varanasi and Jammu reported visibility of 200 metres, Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh recorded 350 metres, while Kanpur and Gorakhpur saw visibility improve to around 400 metres.

A day earlier, Delhi’s overall AQI was recorded at 352 at 8 am, remaining in the ‘very poor’ category, according to CPCB data.