Delhi air quality remains severe, thick smog engulfs city, reduces visibility
Delhi woke up to yet another morning with a thick layer of smog surrounding the national capital.
The air quality index (AQI) registered a severe level of 432, showing a slight improvement from the 452 recorded at 11 pm yesterday. Visibility at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport dropped to 500 meters till 6:30 am, down from 800 meters an hour earlier. Low visibility is expected to impact flights to and from Delhi, with possible delays or changes to schedules in place to manage conditions.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), several areas in the capital region recorded an AQI of over 450. Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Dwarka, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Najafgarh, Lajpat Nagar, Patparganj, Punjabi Bagh, RK Puram, Rohini, Vivek Vihar, and Wazirpur are among several areas in Delhi where the average AQI was recorded in the ‘severe’ category, exceeding 450, at 6 am.
Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 473, followed closely by Patparganj at 472, Ashok Vihar at 471, and Jahangirpuri at 470. Earlier this morning, IndiGo issued a travel advisory on its official X handle, asking passengers to monitor their flight status. The airline warned that some flights may experience delays due to “winter fog.”
“This morning, winter fog may impact flights to/from Amritsar, Varanasi & Delhi. Do keep a tab on your flight status before heading to the airport. Also, please allow additional travel time as road traffic may move slower than usual due to low visibility. Thank you for your patience, and we wish you a smooth journey,” the airlines tweeted.
The Delhi Airport issued an advisory to passengers, saying that low visibility procedures are in progress at the airport. “All flight operations are presently normal. Passengers are requested to contact the airlines concerned for updated flight information,” the advisory said.
Meanwhile, departures at Delhi’s IGI Airport are experiencing an average delay of about 30 minutes due to smoggy conditions. Long-term exposure to “very poor” air quality can lead to respiratory issues, while severe AQI levels can affect even healthy individuals and pose serious risks for those with existing health conditions.
Speaking on the worsening air quality, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva slammed the Atishi government, saying, “We are standing at Kartavya Path, and the AQI here is 474. We can’t even see India Gate. This is due to the inefficiency of the AAP government, which is focused only on event management, not environmental planning.”
He added, “PM 2.5 is a major contributor to pollution, especially from dust on damaged roads, and 3,100 tonnes of untreated CNG waste are released daily, as noted by the Supreme Court.” Sachdeva attributed the pollution to Punjab’s stubble burning and high PM 2.5 levels and suggested declaring holidays for schools and advising people to avoid morning walks.