Delhi Chokes Under Dense Fog as Air Quality Nears ‘Severe

New Delhi: Air pollution in the national capital is expected to worsen over the next two days, with official forecasts warning that Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) may enter the ‘severe’ category on Sunday and Monday amid unfavourable weather conditions.

Dense fog and smog enveloped several parts of the city on Saturday morning, sharply reducing visibility and pushing air quality close to the ‘severe’ threshold. The city’s AQI stood at 384 on Saturday morning, according to official data.

Visibility dropped significantly across many areas, with buildings and flyovers fading into thick fog. Safdarjung recorded the lowest visibility at 200 metres up to 8.30 am, followed by Palam at 350 metres, official records showed.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies an AQI between 201 and 300 as ‘poor’, 301 to 400 as ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 as ‘severe’. Data from the CPCB showed that out of 40 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi, 16 reported AQI levels in the ‘severe’ category, while the remaining 24 were in the ‘very poor’ range. ITO was the most polluted area, recording an AQI of 437.

On Friday, Delhi’s overall AQI stood at 374, with 11 monitoring stations in the ‘severe’ category and 29 in the ‘very poor’ range, indicating a steady deterioration in air quality. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast dense fog and poor visibility a day earlier.

To address rising pollution levels, restrictions introduced earlier this week remain in force. A ban on non-Delhi private vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission standards is being enforced, along with the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule. Under this regulation, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate are not permitted to refuel at petrol pumps.