After a short respite earlier this week, Delhi’s air quality worsened again on Friday, slipping back into the ‘poor’ category as vehicle emissions and pollution drifting in from neighboring NCR districts continued to burden the capital’s air.
Delhi residents woke up to slightly cleaner air on Friday, but pollution levels remained firmly in the ‘poor’ category.
The city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 292 at 6:05 am, according to data from the government-run SAMEER app, indicating limited relief but still raising health concerns.
Several pollution hotspots continued to log high AQI readings. Alipur recorded an AQI of 327, Bawana reached 381, while Anand Vihar and Chandni Chowk registered 395 and 356, respectively, keeping all these areas in the ‘very poor’ category.
Other parts of the capital, however, experienced relatively better air quality, pointing to an uneven improvement across the city.
Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa warned that Delhi’s weather would “worsen again” as the effects of a Western Disturbance are expected to be felt in the city after tomorrow.
He said, “According to the Meteorological Department, there is a high possibility of dense fog. Based on data from previous years, Delhi’s weather is likely to worsen. I appeal to the people of Delhi that even though GRAP-4 has been lifted, we all need to work together on several measures.”
Under CPCB norms, AQI levels between 201 and 300 are classified as ‘poor,’ while readings above 300 enter the ‘very poor’ category. Only values below 200 are considered “moderate’ or better.
The move followed a review by the GRAP Sub-Committee, which evaluated current pollution levels along with forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
Earlier this week, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) withdrew Stage-IV measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) after noting sustained improvement in air quality.
Additionally, the Delhi government has decided to continue the ‘No PUCC, No Fuel’ campaign , reinforcing vehicle emission compliance year-round.
