Thick fog engulfs Delhi-NCR as air quality turns 'very poor', AQI stands at 312

The national capital woke up to dense fog on Wednesday morning and witnessed a significant deterioration in its air quality.

Published on: Feb 4, 2026, 10:45:49 IST

ANIPosted by Yamini C S

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The national capital woke up to dense fog on Wednesday morning and witnessed a significant deterioration in its air quality. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 312 at approximately 7 am, placing it in the 'very poor' category.

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 312 at approximately 7 am, placing it in the 'very poor' category. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo/For representation)

The Air Quality Index remained in the moderate-to-poor range, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

ALSO READ | Fog envelopes parts of Delhi; 180 flights delayed; air quality deteriorates

Additionally, visuals from this morning around the Akshardham area showed a thick layer of fog lingering in parts of the city.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in ITO, a thick layer of fog was present with reduced visibility, with an AQI of 334, placing it in the ' very poor' category. Additionally, a thick layer of smog lingered in areas around India Gate and Kartavya Path.

ALSO READ | Over 500 flights and 50 trains delayed as dense fog grips Delhi for 9 hours

According to CPCB data, several other areas in the capital, including Anand Vihar (376), Bawana (329), Ashok Vihar (366), Mundka (381), Chandani Chowk (358) and RK Puram (346), also saw a high in air quality, remaining in the 'very poor' category. Sirifort recorded similar conditions, with an AQI of 340.

However, some parts of the city fared better. Narela recorded an AQI of 252, and Aya Nagar measured 252, placing it in the 'poor' category. Sri Aurobindo Marg (221), Mandir Marg (257), and IGI Airport T3 (243) also recorded relatively better air quality, but it remained in the 'poor' category.

Additionally, a layer of dense fog has engulfed Haryana's Karnal this morning.

As per AQI classification, a reading between 0 and 50 is 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'.

ALSO READ | February starts cold in Delhi with high of 24.6°C and poor air quality forecast

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for the national capital on Tuesday, warning that isolated areas may experience thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph. Similar conditions are expected across neighbouring Haryana and Chandigarh.

The IMD stated that the rainfall signalled the beginning of an active weather phase, with thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds, and hail likely to affect several states during the day. Light rain lashed several parts of the city and adjoining NCR areas in the early morning hours.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.