Delhi shrouded in smog for 2nd day, AQI at 432
Delhi woke up to a second consecutive day of severe air pollution on Thursday. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 432 at 6:00am categorizing it as "severe." A thick layer of smog reduced visibility across the city, affecting transportation. Amritsar and Pathankot airports reported zero visibility at 5:30am while Gorakhpur airport in Uttar Pradesh by 7:00am.
IndiGo issues travel advisory amid severe pollution
In light of the worsening air quality, IndiGo also released a travel advisory on social media. The airline cautioned passengers of possible flight delays due to "winter fog" impacting Amritsar, Varanasi, and Delhi. The advisory asked travelers to check their flight status and factor in additional travel time due to slow-moving road traffic.
Delhi's air quality worsens, neighboring regions affected
The air quality in Delhi deteriorated considerably over the last 24 hours with 30 of 36 monitoring stations recording severe AQI. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 473, putting it in the "severe plus" category. Nearby areas such as Ghaziabad, Noida, and Gurugram also witnessed very poor air quality with AQIs of 378, 372, and 323 respectively.
Severe air quality reported in Chandigarh and Bihar's Hajipur
Chandigarh recorded a severe AQI of 415, while Bihar's Hajipur recorded 417 on Wednesday. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) termed the dense fog an "episodic event." Despite this, CAQM has not yet implemented Stage-3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which includes measures such as stopping in-person classes for primary schools. CPCB data showed Delhi's AQI averaged 418 at 4:00pm on Wednesday and worsened to 454 by 9:00pm.
Delhi's AQI expected to improve with stronger winds
However, the CAQM expects stronger winds to help reduce pollutant concentrations starting Thursday. This could shift the AQI back to the "very poor" category. If severe conditions persist, authorities may impose restrictions under Stage-3 of GRAP, including bans on construction activities and certain vehicles. Notably, Delhi's air quality has slipped into the severe category several times this year. In January, it recorded an AQI of 447 on January 14 and similar levels later that month.
