Slight relief, but no escape: Delhi AQI eases to 299, but toxic smog keeps city in ‘poor’ zone

Delhi’s air quality showed a marginal improvement on Tuesday morning, but the national capital continued to breathe hazardous air, with the citywide Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 299 around 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The reading remained firmly in the “poor” category, a day after post-Diwali pollution pushed several parts of the city into the “severe” range.

CPCB data showed that Delhi’s overall AQI had eased from Monday’s elevated levels, when the 24-hour average was reported at 370 in the morning. Despite the improvement, pollution remained dangerously high across large parts of the capital, with smog continuing to reduce visibility and affect daily life.

An AQI between 301 and 400 is classified as “very poor", while readings above 400 fall in the “severe” category. Health experts generally advise children, elderly people and those with respiratory or heart conditions to limit outdoor activity during such conditions.

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Hotspots Cross 380

Several monitoring stations continued to report extremely polluted air on Tuesday. Pusa and Chandni Chowk recorded the highest AQI readings of over 380 each, followed by NSUT Jaffarpur at 379 and the Commonwealth Sports Complex at 377, according to CPCB-linked readings.

On Monday, multiple locations — including ITO, Punjabi Bagh, Burari, Jahangirpuri and North Campus — had crossed the 400 mark, placing them in the severe category. Burari Crossing, Chandni Chowk and Ghazipur had recorded AQI levels of 441, 418 and 418 respectively, according to CPCB data reported on Monday morning.

Diwali Aftermath

The deterioration followed Diwali celebrations, during which widespread firecracker bursting added to an already polluted airshed. Delhi’s official average AQI had dipped from 376 on Sunday to 344 on Monday morning, but several individual stations intermittently recorded readings above 400 during the night of November 8–9.

GRAP Stage III Continues

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has retained Stage III restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as authorities attempt to prevent further deterioration. The measures include intensified pollution-control enforcement and stricter compliance checks across the Delhi-NCR region.

Under Stage III, authorities have imposed restrictions on non-essential construction and demolition activity, while measures to control road dust — including mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling — have been enhanced. Restrictions have also been reported on the movement of BS-3 petrol and BS-4 diesel vehicles.

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Schools Shift Online

With pollution levels remaining high, schools in Delhi and neighbouring NCR cities have been directed to conduct hybrid classes for younger students. The move is intended to reduce children’s exposure to toxic air while ensuring continuity of education.

Residents have been advised to avoid outdoor exercise, use masks when outdoors where appropriate, and keep windows closed during peak pollution hours. Authorities say further measures may be tightened if air quality worsens again in the coming days.