Delhi air pollution: Smog causes low visibility in NCR; AQI ‘very poor’ for 15th day

A dense layer of smog enveloped Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and other parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) on Wednesday morning, causing a significant drop in visibility. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality index (AQI) remains in the “very poor” category.

The CPCB data showed the average AQI in Delhi’s Anand Vihar was 393 at 5am on Wednesday.

According to Swiss group IQAir’s live ratings, the AQI in Delhi was 1133 (hazardous), with PM2.5 as the main pollutant.

The smog, combined with shallow to moderate fog and mist, led to reduced visibility during the morning hours. Experts expect the hazy conditions to persist into the evening and night, further impacting visibility and increasing health risks for residents, especially those with respiratory issues.

The AQI has been in the “very poor” category since October 30, when it was recorded at 307.

Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana after harvesting the paddy crop in October and November is often blamed for Delhi’s rise in air pollution.

In many parts of Punjab and Haryana, the air quality was recorded in the ‘poor’ category while it was ‘very poor’ in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Punjab witnessed 83 fresh farm fires, taking the total count to 7,112, data showed.

The AQI in Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, was recorded at 349 at 9pm, according to the CPCB’s Sameer app, which provides hourly updates. In Punjab, Mandi Gobindgarh recorded an AQI of 269, Patiala 245, Ludhiana 233, Jalandhar 212 and Rupnagar 200.

In Haryana, the AQI was 291 in Kaithal, 272 in Jind, 267 in Panchkula, 240 in Sonipat, 236 in Bahadurgarh, 217 in Kurukshetra, 205 in Gurugram and 202 in Yamunanagar.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, 401 and 450 “severe” and above 450 “severe plus”.

‘Poor’ AQI forces Jagdeeep Dhankhar to abandon global meet in Ludhiana

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar could not attend a conference in Ludianan as his plane could not land at the Halwara airport because of poor visibility on Tuesday.

Jagdeep Dhankhar was to attend the international conference on ‘Transforming Agrifood Systems in the Face of Climate Changes and Energy Transitions’ at the Punjab Agricultural University. His aircraft landed at the Amritsar airport before he headed to Madhya Pradesh to take part in another event.

Amritsar deputy commissioner Sakshi Sahwney said the vice president’s plane landed at the Amritsar airport where he stayed for 40 minutes. A thick layer of smog has engulfed many parts of Punjab with the air quality index at many places remaining in the “poor” category.

The conference was, however, attended by Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria and chief minister Bhagwant Mann.