Delhi continued to remain in hazardous air quality on Sunday as a thick layer of smog covered several parts of the national capital, reducing visibility and pushing pollution levels into the ‘severe' category at seven monitoring stations.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 352, while the Sameer app recorded it at 350, both falling in the ‘very poor' category. Of the 54 monitoring stations across the city, 47 reported very poor air quality, while seven recorded severe pollution levels.
IIT Delhi registered the highest AQI, at 425 according to CPCB data and 428 on the Sameer app. ITO followed with an AQI of 415 and 414, respectively. Other stations recording severe levels included NIH Narela (411), NSIT Dwarka (409), NSUT Jaffarpur (407), Commonwealth Sports Complex (403), Delhi University's North Campus (402) and Pusa (402), although some readings varied across monitoring platforms.
Several other locations also reported elevated pollution levels. Punjabi Bagh recorded an AQI of 386, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) 383, Akshardham 365, RK Puram 339, Okhla Phase-2 330 and Maidan Garhi 325. In comparison, Najafgarh (298), IGNOU-Maidan Garhi (278) and IMD Lodhi Road (280) remained in the ‘poor' category, while the Cantonment Area recorded a relatively better AQI of 165, classified as ‘moderate'.
PM2.5 and PM10 continued to be the dominant pollutants across the capital.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had already invoked Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region and adjoining areas on November 6 to curb rising pollution.
Highlighting the wider health implications, a study published in the Journal of Vascular Diseases found that long-term exposure to fine particulate matter was associated with a 10-16 per cent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The research analysed more than 200 million cumulative participant observations worldwide, underscoring the potential impact of air pollution on metabolic health, particularly in South Asia.
Meanwhile, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 18.6 degrees Celsius, 5.1 degrees below the seasonal average. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast a cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle and a maximum temperature of around 27 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity stood at 91 per cent at 8.30 am.
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According to CPCB classifications, an AQI of 301-400 is ‘very poor', while readings between 401 and 500 fall in the ‘severe' category.
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