Delhi’s air pollution worsened for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, with 20 monitoring stations recording ‘severe’ air quality and the city-wide AQI reaching 369. Several neighbourhoods reported readings above 400, with Jahangirpuri and Punjabi Bagh emerging as the worst-affected areas.
Jahangirpuri, Punjabi Bagh Record Highest AQI At 447
Jahangirpuri and Punjabi Bagh topped Delhi’s pollution chart with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 447 each. Other areas also reported alarmingly high pollution levels, with IIT recording 438, Rohini 433, DTU 432, Vivek Vihar 428, Alipur 419, Narela 418 and Bawana 408. Mundka recorded an AQI of 436.
Of the capital’s 59 monitoring stations, 20 reported ‘severe’ air quality, while 33 recorded readings in the ‘very poor’ category. The remaining six stations fell under the ‘poor’ category. PM2.5 was identified as the primary pollutant.
Pollution levels were also elevated across parts of the National Capital Region (NCR). Gurugram recorded an AQI of 321, followed by Noida at 305, Ghaziabad at 229 and Faridabad at 125.
GRAP Stage II Restrictions In Place As Pollution Persists
The deterioration follows Monday’s decision to implement Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi. The city’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 324 on November 2, marking its first entry into the ‘very poor’ category this season.
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has predicted that pollution levels could remain in the ‘very poor’ category until at least Friday, November 6.
Weather conditions are unlikely to provide immediate relief. Wednesday’s forecast indicated maximum temperatures of 27-29 degrees Celsius and minimum temperatures between 14 and 16 degrees Celsius. With no rainfall predicted, the sky was expected to remain mostly clear during the morning.
