A thick blanket of dense fog enveloped parts of Delhi on Thursday morning, reducing visibility in the national capital. At 5:30 a.m., the minimum temperature was recorded at 6.2°C according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Videos doing rounds on the internet, including those filmed from the Kashmere Gate area, showed how it had been difficult to identify anything in the early hours with the dense fog.
Adding to the chilling weather, air pollution levels in Delhi and its surrounding regions reached alarming levels. The Air Quality Index was recorded at 448, firmly placing the air quality in the severe category. The city remained shrouded in fog and smog, exacerbating the already harsh weather conditions.
Pollution Levels Reach Critical Levels Across Delhi
Out of 37 air quality monitoring stations in Delhi, 23 reported AQI levels in the severe-plus category. The highest index was recorded at Nehru Nagar at 485, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Other prominent locations like ITO, India Gate, RK Puram, Lajpat Nagar, and Rohini also reported AQI levels in the severe-plus category.
Furthermore, 10 other monitoring stations reported AQI values between 400 and above at severe levels. On Wednesday evening, the overall AQI reached 450, making it an extreme air polluting situation.
The pollution levels in the neighboring cities of Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad also have deteriorated significantly. At Noida, the AQI was 366. In Gurugram it was 370 and at Ghaziabad it was 386, all falling under ‘very poor’ category
Visibility Plunges Near Zero In Key Areas
A second video from the Old Yamuna Bridge area highlighted the perilously low visibility caused by the dense fog. Near-zero visibility created problems for commuters, making things worse with adverse weather conditions.
IMD has already warned of very dense fog conditions over Delhi-NCR for Thursday and had sounded orange alert. Minimum temperature had been a bit above its normal at 7.6°C on Wednesday. Fog/smog was affecting various parts of the region, but this has all been part of Delhi for a while.
Alarming Air Quality Levels
Delhi’s air quality has consistently hovered in the severe category this week. On Wednesday, the AQI was recorded at 441. CPCB data revealed that 32 of the 37 air quality monitoring stations reported AQI levels in the severe-plus category, with readings reaching up to 480 at several locations. The remaining stations fell under the severe category.
According to the CPCB, an AQI of 400 and above calls for immediate actions. The deteriorating air quality, along with the severe fog and cold, has increased public health concerns throughout Delhi and its surrounding regions.
