Delhi remained unusually hot for October on Saturday, with the maximum temperature at Safdarjung reaching 37.1°C, nearly three degrees above normal, even as worsening air quality prompted the municipal corporation to prepare stricter pollution enforcement across the city.
The India Meteorological Department has estimated that temperatures may fall slightly over the next four days, bringing some relief from the heat. However, the weather change has also been accompanied by a rise in pollution levels in several parts of the capital.
Safdarjung, Delhi’s standard meteorological observatory, recorded a minimum temperature of 23.2°C, which was 0.9°C above normal. The maximum temperature was 2.9°C higher than normal. Temperatures of 37°C or above are uncommon in October, and the source report noted that no day in October last year recorded a temperature of 37°C or higher at the observatory.
Bright sunshine was reported across most parts of Delhi from Saturday morning. As the day progressed, the intense sunlight increased the sensation of heat for residents, despite the month having entered the post-monsoon period.
The Central Pollution Control Board recorded Delhi’s average air quality index at 171 on Saturday, placing the city in the moderate category. The reading was reported to be nearly unchanged from Friday. At the same time, six areas recorded AQI levels above 200 on Friday, placing them in the poor category.
The combination of elevated temperatures and deteriorating air quality comes as Delhi prepares for its winter pollution-control response. The municipal corporation has drawn up an enforcement plan under the Graded Response Action Plan, municipal rules and directions issued by the National Green Tribunal.
Under the plan, people and entities found violating pollution-control requirements could face challans and penalties ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000. The corporation has also planned special monitoring and inspections in areas identified as pollution hotspots.
More than 200 teams have been formed for pollution-control work across Delhi’s zones. According to municipal officials cited in the report, the teams will coordinate with other government departments and agencies during the winter season.
The municipal corporation has identified 13 pollution hotspots for focused surveillance. Officials said enforcement action would be intensified across all zones in accordance with the applicable rules during the winter pollution-control period. The IMD’s expected temperature decline over the next four days is the next near-term weather development for the capital.
