Delhi’s AQI deteriorated to 332 on Tuesday morning, placing the capital in the ‘very poor’ category as thick smog covered the city, while Jahangirpuri recorded a severe reading of 452, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
The deterioration followed Delhi’s first ‘very poor’ air-quality day of the season on Monday, when the city’s AQI settled at 324. The latest reading indicates that pollution remained elevated across a large part of the capital, with several monitoring stations registering severe or very poor conditions.
At 9 am, eight of Delhi’s 57 monitoring stations recorded air quality in the severe category, while 32 stations were in the very poor category, the CPCB data showed. Two stations reported moderate air quality and the remaining 15 recorded poor air quality.
Jahangirpuri recorded the city’s worst reading, with its AQI crossing 452. Under the CPCB’s classification, an AQI between 401 and 500 is considered severe. Readings between 301 and 400 fall in the very poor category, while 201 to 300 is classified as poor. AQI levels from 101 to 200 are moderate, 51 to 100 satisfactory and zero to 50 good.
The distribution of readings across monitoring stations shows that the deterioration was not confined to one locality. Most stations were in the very poor or poor categories, while the severe readings at eight locations marked the most hazardous end of the CPCB scale. Jahangirpuri’s reading was notably higher than the citywide average.
Weather conditions were also being closely watched as the pollution persisted. The minimum temperature at Safdarjung, Delhi’s primary weather station, settled at 16.4 degrees Celsius, which was 1.1 degrees above the seasonal average. Palam recorded a minimum of 16.2 degrees Celsius, with no departure from normal.
Other weather stations reported relatively warmer-than-normal minimum temperatures. Lodhi Road recorded 16.2 degrees Celsius, 3.2 degrees above normal, while the Ridge station recorded 17.7 degrees Celsius, 0.6 degrees above normal. Ayanagar recorded a minimum temperature of 17.2 degrees Celsius, one degree above the seasonal average.
The India Meteorological Department forecast a mainly clear sky for Tuesday, with the maximum temperature expected to settle around 29 degrees Celsius. The CPCB’s next monitoring updates and subsequent AQI readings will indicate whether the widespread deterioration continues across Delhi.
