Delhi air pollution: City slips into ‘very poor’ category as AQI hits 391; ‘orange alert’ issued for dense fog on Monday

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s air quality slipped into the “very poor” category on Sunday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 390, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).Several parts of the capital reported AQI levels above 400, placing them in the hazardous category, prompting health advisories for residents to limit outdoor exposure as authorities continued to monitor the situation closely.According to CPCB data, 19 monitoring stations in Delhi reported air quality in the “severe” category, with Anand Vihar recording the highest AQI at 457, while the remaining stations registered “very poor” levels.Under CPCB standards, an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as “good”, 51–100 as “satisfactory”, 101–200 as “moderate”, 201–300 as “poor”, 301–400 as “very poor”, and 401–500 as “severe”.Meanwhile, the meteorological department has issued an orange alert for very dense fog on Monday, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to remain around 22 and 7 degrees Celsius, respectively, as cited by PTI. The meteorological department also said Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 6.3 degrees Celsius, about 0.5 degrees below the seasonal average, while the maximum temperature stood at 22.5 degrees Celsius, around 2.1 degrees above normal.Authorities have implemented Stage III measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), including curbs on construction and industrial activities, as the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule is enforced to rein in vehicular emissions. Officials attributed the deteriorating air quality to cold conditions, calm winds and dense fog that prevent the dispersal of pollutants, while experts cautioned that poor air quality is likely to persist under the prevailing weather patterns.