Delhi wakes up to a thick winter fog and severe air pollution today, with AQI soaring past 400. GRAP Stage IV measures are in effect, schools and construction face curbs, and health risks spike. Will the smog finally lift, or stay trapped over the capital?
Smog and fog blanket Delhi as AQI reaches dangerous levels
New Delhi: The national capital woke up under a thick blanket of fog on Tuesday morning, marking another cold winter day in the national capital. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), moderate to dense fog is expected at many places during the early hours today, with isolated pockets of very dense fog reducing visibility sharply in parts of the city and surrounding NCR regions.
This morning gloom is typical of the season and is expected to persist through early hours before thinning into shallow fog later in the day.
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Daytime temperatures will remain cool by December standards with a high of around 23-24°C and a low near 8-10°C under mainly clear skies. Winds will blow with moderate intensity from the west and northwest, but won’t significantly disperse trapped pollutants early in the day.
The air quality in Delhi remains at critical levels today. Data from multiple air monitoring reports show Delhi’s AQI lingering in the ‘severe’ category (above 400), with many pockets breaching even higher thresholds.
In some areas such as Anand Vihar and Akshardham, AQI readings neared 490 plus, placing air quality dangerously close to hazardous.
Under the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classification, AQI values:
In response to the deteriorating air quality, authorities have invoked stringent sections of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The latest measures (commonly referred to as Stage IV/critical response) include:
Suspension or restriction of construction activities
Curbs on older diesel vehicles and generators
Recommendations for remote working and hybrid school schedules
Public advisories to avoid outdoor exertion and use protective masks
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This combination of dense fog and extreme pollution has already affected travel with low visibility contributing to delays and advisories for air and road passengers. Residents are urged to plan travel carefully, monitor flight or train status, and reduce exposure during peak pollution hours.
Health experts reiterate that continued breathing of such polluted air can aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular issues, and suggest staying indoors where possible, using air purifiers, and wearing N95 or equivalent masks when outside.
