Delhi woke up to a heavily polluted morning on Sunday, with the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 270, firmly placing the national capital in the ‘poor’ category.
The reading, issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), comes after a week of severe and very poor conditions that left the city shrouded in dense smog.
Officials reported a slight improvement compared with previous days, attributing the drop to better surface wind movement on Saturday evening.
These winds helped disperse some accumulated pollutants, but the overall air quality remained far from safe.
Despite the modest decline in AQI, several neighbourhoods continued to experience conditions close to the ‘very poor’ threshold.
Pollution Hotspots Across Delhi
Some areas recorded significantly worse air quality than the citywide average.
- Shadipur registered an AQI of 336, the most polluted location of the morning.
- RK Puram followed with 308, both falling under the ‘very poor’ category.
These levels indicate a high likelihood of respiratory discomfort even among healthy individuals.
Other known pollution hotspots such as Burari (283), Bawana (295), Sirifort (295), Wazirpur (282), Chandni Chowk (281), Anand Vihar (281), Narela (279) and Punjabi Bagh (266) remained in the ‘poor’ range, reflecting widespread degradation in air quality across the capital. JLN Stadium (269) also recorded ‘poor’ levels.
Few Areas Perform Better
A handful of locations saw comparatively improved conditions.
- Mandir Marg (157) was the only area to fall in the ‘moderate’ category.
- Aya Nagar (225), IGI Airport (227), NSIT Dwarka (228), Lodhi Road (251), Alipur (247), Najafgarh (242) and North Campus (240) all remained in the ‘poor’ range.
The pollution crisis extended beyond Delhi:
- Gurugram recorded 233 (‘poor’)
- Noida reported 267 (‘poor’)
- Faridabad fared slightly better with 178 (‘moderate’)
- Ghaziabad stood at 262 (‘poor’)
Under India’s AQI scale, readings between 201 and 300 are classified as ‘poor’, likely to cause breathing discomfort, particularly with prolonged exposure.
Residents reported persistent haze, eye irritation and breathlessness even after the marginal dip in pollution levels.
With winter beginning to settle, experts warn that air quality may fluctuate further as pollutants become trapped near the surface.
Health specialists continue to advise citizens to limit outdoor activity, especially during early mornings and late evenings, when particulate concentration is at its peak.
Also Read: Delhi Wakes To Another Day Of Heavy Pollution; No Improvement Expected
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