People in Delhi woke up to a hazy morning on Friday (November 22, 2024) with a minimum temperature of 11.3 degrees Celsius as the air quality remained in the “very poor” category recording an overall AQI of 373.

             Out of 38 monitoring stations in the city, nine reported Air Quality Index (AQI) readings in the “severe” range.

            These stations are Anand Vihar, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Nehru Nagar, Shadipur, Sonia Vihar, Vivek Vihar, and Wazirpur, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

         An AQI of 400 or higher is classified as “severe” and poses significant health risks. Delhi’s air quality first breached the “severe plus” category on Sunday, prompting the implementation of Stage IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Monday morning.

          These measures include a complete ban on construction and demolition activities, school closures, and strict vehicular restrictions, such as the prohibition of non-emergency commercial activities and the enforcement of the odd-even scheme for vehicles.

        The humidity levels in the city stood at 97 per cent at 8:30 am, and the IMD has forecast moderate fog to persist throughout the day. The maximum temperature is expected to settle at 27 degrees Celsius.