Dense Fog Engulfs Delhi as AQI Nears ‘Severe’ at 384
Visibility drops to 200 metres at Safdarjung; 16 monitoring stations record ‘severe’ air quality as pollution set to worsen
New Delhi, Dec 20: Dense fog blanketed large parts of the national capital on Saturday morning, sharply reducing visibility and pushing Delhi’s air quality closer to the ‘severe’ category, with the overall AQI recorded at 384.
Buildings and flyovers disappeared into a grey haze as visibility plunged across the city. The lowest visibility till 8.30 am was recorded at Safdarjung at 200 metres, followed by Palam at 350 metres, according to official data.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies an AQI between 201 and 300 as ‘poor’, 301–400 as ‘very poor’, and 401–500 as ‘severe’.
Several areas witnessed dense smog and fog during early morning hours, a situation that had been forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) a day earlier.
Data from the CPCB showed that out of 40 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi, 16 recorded AQI levels in the ‘severe’ category, while the remaining 24 were in the ‘very poor’ range. ITO emerged as the most polluted area, recording an AQI of 437.
On Friday, Delhi’s average AQI stood at 374, with 11 stations in the ‘severe’ category and 29 in the ‘very poor’ range.
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has warned that pollution levels are likely to deteriorate further, with AQI expected to slip into the ‘severe’ category on Sunday and Monday due to unfavourable meteorological conditions.
To curb rising pollution levels, authorities have enforced a ban on non-Delhi private vehicles below BS-VI emission standards and implemented the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule from Thursday. Under the rule, vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate are barred from refuelling at petrol pumps.
