Delhi AQI Breaches 400-Mark; Govt Holds Off Stricter Curb

New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality has deteriorated significantly, with the average air quality index (AQI) surpassing the 400-mark, as reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The AQI scale categorizes air quality as follows: 0 to 100 is considered ‘good’, 100 to 200 is ‘moderate’, 200 to 300 is ‘poor’, 300 to 400 is ‘very poor’, and 400 to 500 or above is ‘severe’.

In response to the very poor air quality, the central government has decided to monitor the situation for a day or more before implementing stricter measures under Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the air pollution control plan for Delhi-NCR. Forecasts suggest that the situation may improve.

The sub-committee of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), responsible for operationalizing GRAP, reviewed the current air quality and meteorological conditions, as well as air quality forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM). Based on these forecasts, the subcommittee unanimously decided to observe the situation for a day or more before considering Stage III of GRAP. The preventive and restrictive actions under Stages I and II of GRAP will continue for now, with further decisions pending.

Stage 3 restrictions include a ban on non-essential construction work and the operation of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi-NCR. The GRAP measures had been lifted on January 18 after an improvement in air quality.

Additionally, dense to very dense fog conditions are expected in the mornings over parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh until January 26, according to the IMD. Delhi is also experiencing moderate fog, with foggy conditions predicted for January 27 and 28. These weather conditions are impacting flights at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, leading to delays.