Cold Wave Grips Delhi As Air Quality Remains Poor Across NCR

Persistent cold wave conditions continued across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Monday, with air quality remaining in the ‘poor’ category as a sharp dip in temperatures added to public discomfort.

Early on Monday, the minimum temperature in Delhi dropped by 4.5 degrees Celsius to 6.5 degrees Celsius, falling below the seasonal average.

Combined with dense fog and high humidity, the cold conditions made mornings particularly harsh for residents.

Data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) revealed the latest air quality trends in the capital. The Air Quality Index (AQI) hovered in the ‘poor’ range across most areas of the city.

At Akshardham, the AQI stood at 294, while ITO recorded a reading of 256.

In contrast, air quality worsened considerably in several pollution hotspots, with 11 monitoring stations reporting ‘very poor’ levels.

At Anand Vihar, the AQI touched 323, while Ashok Vihar recorded 304, and Chandni Chowk surged to a concerning 343.

Additionally, stations at IHBAS Dilshad Garden (310), Jahangirpuri (326), Nehru Nagar (329), Okhla Phase II (304), Rohini (313), Siri Fort (306), Vivek Vihar (321), and Wazirpur (313) also remained in the ‘very poor’ category.

Under the official classification system, authorities label AQI values between 201 and 300 as ‘poor’. They categorise readings between 301 and 400 as ‘very poor’.

Meanwhile, neighbouring cities in the NCR also experienced a decline in air quality.

In Noida, the AQI deteriorated to 242 from 229 recorded on Friday. Gurugram, after briefly improving to the ‘moderate’ category with an AQI of 178, slipped back into the ‘poor’ range with a reading of 244.

Earlier, authorities had lifted several Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) restrictions after rainfall and strong winds temporarily improved air quality. However, as a precaution, GRAP-1 and GRAP-2 measures continue to remain in force across the region.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cold wave conditions are likely to affect isolated parts of Delhi until January 6. The agency has forecast mainly clear skies along with shallow to moderate fog during morning hours.

During the coming days, the weather department expects Delhi’s maximum temperature to range between 17 and 19 degrees Celsius. Minimum temperatures may remain between 7 and 9 degrees Celsius.

High relative humidity, recorded at 92 per cent at 8:30 AM, further intensified the cold.

IMD observations also highlighted variations in night temperatures across the city. While Safdarjung recorded a minimum of 7.4 degrees Celsius, Palam reported 6.8 degrees Celsius and Ayanagar 6.6 degrees Celsius. Lodhi Road registered 7.6 degrees Celsius, whereas the Ridge area remained comparatively warmer at 8.9 degrees Celsius.

Beyond Delhi, the IMD has forecast light rain or snowfall at isolated locations in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh over the next two days.

Uttarakhand may also witness rain or snowfall at isolated places during this period.

Across north India, cold wave conditions are expected to persist in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Rajasthan. In Kashmir, the severe winter phase known as Chilla-e-Kalan is currently underway.