Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply ahead of Diwali, with the city’s overall Air Quality Index touching 451 at 8 am on Tuesday as Stage-II restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan came into force across the National Capital Region.
Central Pollution Control Board data showed that several monitoring stations recorded air quality in the severe category, while many other locations remained in the very poor range. Rohini recorded the highest reading among the listed stations at 429, followed by Punjabi Bagh at 424 and Bawana at 408.
Other areas also reported highly elevated pollution levels. Patparganj recorded an AQI of 379, while R K Puram and ITO recorded readings of 374 and 373 respectively. The AQI at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was 355, while Okhla Phase-2 and Chandni Chowk each recorded 352. Jawaharlal Nehru University recorded an AQI of 328.
The relatively lower readings at some monitoring stations remained within the poor category. The AQI at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport was 287, followed by Anand Vihar at 279, Uttam Nagar at 274 and IMD Lodhi Road at 226.
The Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage-II of GRAP across the entire NCR on Monday in response to the worsening pollution levels. The restrictions took immediate effect and were added to the measures already operating under Stage-I of the plan.
Delhi Police conducted a checking drive at the Ghazipur border as restrictions on vehicle entry came into force. The enhanced measures require municipal corporations, traffic police and pollution control boards in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to intensify enforcement across the region.
Under Stage-II, authorities have been directed to undertake daily mechanical or vacuum sweeping and water sprinkling mixed with dust suppressants on heavy-traffic corridors and at congestion points. These activities are to be prioritised before peak traffic hours.
The plan also calls for intensified inspections and remedial action at identified pollution hotspots and at construction and demolition sites across the NCR. The measures place multiple agencies across four states and the Delhi administration in the enforcement chain, reflecting the regional nature of the pollution episode.
The deterioration comes ahead of Diwali, a period during which authorities typically face additional pressure to control emissions and maintain air-quality conditions. The latest readings and enforcement measures will determine how agencies implement the expanded restrictions across traffic corridors, hotspots and construction sites in the coming days.
