Delhi air turns toxic again as AQI nears severe levels across NCR

New Delhi – Delhi’s air quality worsened sharply on Friday. The city moved close to the severe category as pollution surged across several monitoring stations. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) placed Delhi’s overall AQI at 384 at 6 am. The city remained stuck in the “very poor” range.

However, almost half of the city recorded conditions far worse. Out of 39 stations, 19 slipped into the severe bracket. Meanwhile, Noida recorded an alarming spike with most of its stations crossing 400. This escalation began barely 48 hours after the Delhi government lifted GRAP-III restrictions.

As the day progressed, Delhi-NCR showed clear signs of rapid deterioration. Noida recorded severe air at several points, while Greater Noida (380), Ghaziabad (351) and Gurugram (318) remained in the very poor category.

Pollution hotspots saw the sharpest jumps. Anand Vihar recorded 411. Bawana reached 414. Chandni Chowk and Narela touched 407. Burari hit 402. Ashok Vihar rose to 417, one of the highest readings of the day. Even Aya Nagar and JLN Stadium crossed 400.

Meanwhile, several locations hovered at the higher end of the very poor category. ITO recorded 396. IGI Airport touched 360. Najafgarh and Alipur stayed above 350. Delhi has struggled with toxic air for the past 14 days, showing no sign of lasting improvement.

In Noida, air quality continued to choke residents. Sector 1 hit 405. Sector 116 jumped to 438. Sector 125 climbed to 422. Greater Noida also reported very poor levels, with Knowledge Park-III at 362 and Knowledge Park-V at 399.

Ghaziabad presented a grim picture as well. Loni slipped into the severe category at 425. Indirapuram (385) and Vasundhara (305) stayed in the very poor range. Only Sanjay Vihar recorded “poor” levels, offering slight relief.

Further southwest, Gurugram and Faridabad fared relatively better. Gurugram saw two stations in the poor range and two in the very poor range. Faridabad recorded moderate air at most stations, with only one crossing into poor.

Earlier this week, the Air Quality Early Warning System predicted that Delhi would remain in the very poor range until November 28. Forecasts also suggest fluctuations between severe and very poor over the next several days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects cloudy skies and fog across the capital today. Temperatures will range between 8°C and 27°C.

Delhi recorded the coldest morning of the season on Wednesday. The minimum dipped to 8°C, the lowest November temperature since 2022.

For now, the capital continues to battle a toxic mix of cold air, stagnant winds and dense pollution. The worsening trend signals another harsh winter for residents struggling to breathe clean air.