Delhi AQI spikes again: Toxic air chokes city as AQI hits 405, India Gate fades behind smog

Delhi woke up to a thick cloud of toxic smog on Sunday, as the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) spiked to a hazardous 405, real-time data showed. The sharp deterioration came just a day after the capital recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 303 in the “very poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Data from the pollution monitoring portal showed PM2.5 levels at 277 µg/m³ and PM10 at 359 µg/m³, while carbon monoxide (CO) spiked to 489 ppb, marking a dangerous escalation in particulate and gaseous pollutants.
At 8:30 am, temperatures hovered around 20°C with mist and 83% humidity, while wind speed remained low at 10 km/h, impeding pollutant dispersion.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), humidity levels touched 98% on Saturday, with shallow fog and smog reducing visibility to 900 metres at Safdarjung and 1.3 km at Palam by 8:30 pm. Light southwesterly winds at 4 kmph further trapped pollutants close to the surface.

The CPCB’s air quality bulletin forecast that Delhi’s air will remain in the ‘Very Poor’ category between November 2 and 4, with only marginal improvement expected thereafter. “The outlook for the subsequent six days indicates air quality is likely to stay ‘very poor’,” the agency said.

By Saturday evening, the smog had grown so thick that even India Gate faded from view, with several areas including Wazirpur (432), RK Puram (425), Chandni Chowk (414), Rohini (415), and Vivek Vihar (407) slipping into the ‘Severe’ zone. Only a handful of stations — NSIT Dwarka (254), IHBAS Dilshad Garden (270), and DTU (292) — recorded ‘Poor’ air quality.

Government Action 

Amid worsening conditions, the Delhi government has begun enforcing the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) directive restricting the entry of commercial goods vehicles that are not registered in Delhi or fail to meet BS-IV or lower emission standards. Only CNG, LNG, electric, or BS-VI compliant vehicles are now allowed to enter the capital.

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Saturday inspected pollution-control measures and ambient air quality systems at Anand Vihar, one of the city’s worst-hit hotspots. “We are working continuously on all 13 hotspots with special monitoring underway,” Sirsa said on X (formerly Twitter), adding that permanent water sprinklers are being installed at key junctions.

He identified traffic congestion, poor road management, and dust from broken roads as the major causes behind Anand Vihar’s pollution, directing officials to act immediately.

Health and Environmental Concerns

Experts warn that prolonged exposure to such high levels of PM2.5 and PM10 can cause severe respiratory distress, especially among children and the elderly. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers PM2.5 levels above 15 µg/m³ unsafe — Delhi’s current concentration is nearly 18 times higher.

Meteorologists attribute the spike to low wind speeds, temperature inversion, and regional emissions such as stubble burning, domestic heating, and vehicle exhausts. Similar conditions last year led to Delhi recording its worst-ever smog episode by mid-November.