Delhi Faces Very Poor Air as Cold Wave Tightens Grip
Delhi Faces Very Poor Air as Cold Wave Tightens Grip
Delhi battles a cold wave with AQI in the very poor range as dense fog dampens the city and airports report low visibility.
Delhi woke up to a dense fog and a stubbornly high air-quality level as a cold wave tightened its grip on the capital. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 346 at 7 a.m., placing the city in the 'very poor' category according to CPCB data. Across the national capital, readings from several neighborhoods surpassed the 300 mark, signaling a widespread pollution problem even as the cold air traps pollutants near the ground.
In numbers, Anand Vihar logged 354, Ashok Vihar 367, ITO 362, and RK Puram 374, while Patparganj recorded 372, Wazirpur 374, Chandni Chowk 370, and Dwarka Sector 8 369, underscoring the breadth of the challenge. Visibility in key spots dropped under dense fog, with Palam at about 800 metres and Safdarjung around 700 metres in shallow fog.
The city is also grappling with a cold wave, with the mercury dipping to around 5.4°C, according to the India Meteorological Department. The chilly air is a double blow: it’s thinning the air and letting pollutants linger near the ground, worsening health and daily-life impacts. Airports across northern and eastern India faced severely reduced visibility, complicating travel plans. In Delhi itself, several airports reported zero metres of visibility in the early hours, while other regions saw visibilities of 200 metres in Varanasi and Jammu and around 350 metres in Rajahmundry.
As fog blankets the city and AQI readings hover in the dangerous range, residents are urged to limit outdoor activity, wear masks, and keep indoors where possible. Authorities stress the importance of staying warm, hydrating, and using indoor air purifiers where available to mitigate the effects of pollution and the cold. The combined effect of dense fog and poor air quality is shaping a sluggish start to what officials say could be a challenging few days.
