Delhi's overall air quality remains ‘severe’, AQI over 450 in some areas

Delhi's air quality on Thursday plunged into the 'severe plus' category, with a 24 hour average AQI of 451 recorded at 4 pm, according to CPCB data.

Delhi's air quality remained in severe category on Friday morning amid cold weather and a layer of smog, with the some areas recording Air Quality Index (AQI) readings over 450 - the ‘severe-plus’ level according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Commuters make their way through an old iron bridge on a smoggy winter morning in New Delhi on December 19, 2024. (AFP)

Delhi's air quality on Thursday had plunged into the 'severe plus' category, with a 24 hour average AQI of 451 recorded at 4pm, as per CPB data.

Delhi AQI today

• The overall AQI at around 8am on Friday in Delhi stood at 434 - what the CPCB classifies as the severe category. Of the 35 monitoring stations listed on government's Sameer app, Rohini, RK Puram, Sirifort, Dwarka Sector 8, Wazirpur were among those that recorded an AQI of over 450.
• As per the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good," 51-100 "satisfactory," 101-200 "moderate," 201-300 "poor," 301-400 "very poor," 401-450 "severe," and above 450 “severe plus.”
• On Thursday, the city saw dangerously high levels of PM2.5, the primary pollutant, with 32 of the 35 monitoring stations recording air quality in the severe plus category. Some areas recorded AQI readings as high as 470. The PM2.5 particles, measuring 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter pose significant health risks as they can penetrate deep into the lungs when inhaled.

• Delhi remains under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which includes the most stringent anti-pollution measures. The measures involve a complete ban on construction activities and the entry of non-essential polluting trucks into the city. GRAP categorises air quality into four stages: Stage I (Poor, AQI 201-300), Stage II (Very Poor, AQI 301-400), Stage III (Severe, AQI 401-450), and Stage IV (Severe Plus, AQI above 450).
• The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a yellow alert for Friday, warning a very dense fog in some areas. The maximum temperature on Thursday was recorded at 23 degrees Celsius, slightly above the season's normal, while the minimum temperature was five degrees Celsius, three notches below normal, as per IMD.