India

Delhi Chokes Under Dense Smog As AQI Hits Hazardous Levels; Reaching 430

Residents of Delhi woke up to dense smog on Thursday as air quality levels remained in the ‘severe’ category for a second day, with the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching a hazardous 430 by 7:30 AM.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), multiple regions in Delhi registered AQI values well above 400, indicating extremely hazardous air conditions. Notable hot spots included Anand Vihar at a critical 473, Ashok Vihar at 474, Dwarka Sector 8 at 458, and Jahangirpuri close behind at 471.

Other areas followed suit with perilous AQI levels: Patparganj reached 472, Punjabi Bagh hit 459, RK Puram recorded 454, and Rohini reached 453. Major Dhyanchand Stadium showed 444, IGI Airport 435, ITO 434, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 408, NSIT Dwarka 425, Okhla Phase 2 recorded 440, with Mundka, Najafgarh, Narela, and Sonia Vihar at 407, 457, 438, and 468 respectively.

Meanwhile, some areas in Delhi reported slightly lower but still dangerous ‘very poor’ AQI levels, including:

DTU: 398
Mathura Road: 395
Dilshad Garden: 385
Lodhi Road: 370
Sri Aurobindo Marg: 345

In the National Capital Region (NCR), air quality also deteriorated, with nearby cities showing elevated AQI readings:

Faridabad: 284
Gurugram: 309
Ghaziabad: 375
Greater Noida: 320
Noida: 367

On Wednesday, the Swiss monitoring organization IQAir reported AQI levels as high as 1,133 in some parts of Delhi, indicating ‘hazardous’ air quality, with PM2.5 particulates identified as the main pollutant.

The smog has been attributed to factors including seasonal stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, and stagnant weather conditions that trap pollutants in the air.

The CPCB defines AQI levels as follows: