Delhi Wakes To Another Day Of Heavy Pollution; No Improvement Expected

Delhi continued to grapple with heavy pollution on Saturday, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reporting an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 338 at 7 AM, firmly placing the city in the ‘very poor’ category for the fifteenth day in a row.

Although the reading showed a slight improvement from Friday’s 385, air pollution has remained persistently high across the Capital throughout November.

Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 369 on Friday, extending the city’s long spell of ‘very poor’ air quality to nearly half the month.

Forecasts issued by air-quality and meteorological agencies suggest that no substantial improvement is expected over the coming week, as prevailing weather conditions continue to hinder the dispersal of pollutants.

CPCB data from Saturday morning revealed that most monitoring stations were still reporting figures within the ‘very poor’ range.

These included Anand Vihar (354), Ashok Vihar (347), Bawana (364), Burari (347), Chandni Chowk (351), Dwarka Sector 8 (368), ITO (343), Patparganj (341), Punjabi Bagh (355), Rohini (364) and Vivek Vihar (358).

A handful of locations recorded marginally better numbers, falling in the ‘poor’ category.

IGI Airport (295), Dilshad Garden (272), Mandir Marg (251) and NSIT Dwarka (252) were among the few areas showing slightly improved conditions, though the relief remained limited.

Neighbouring cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) followed a comparable trend, with Noida posting an AQI of 344, Ghaziabad 333, Faridabad 207 and Gurugram 293, indicating poor to very poor air quality across the region.

On Friday morning, 19 of Delhi’s 39 monitoring stations had briefly reported pollution levels in the ‘severe’ category before conditions eased somewhat later in the day.

Weekly Readings Highlight Persistent Smog

Daily average AQI readings for the week also highlighted consistently unhealthy air: 377 on Thursday, 327 on Wednesday, 352 on Tuesday and 382 on Monday — all categorised as ‘very poor’.

According to the India Meteorological Department, fog is likely on Saturday.

The maximum temperature will likely reach around 26°C, with the minimum hovering near 11°C.