Delhi woke up to a “severe” air quality on Tuesday, with the overall AQI reaching 421 around 8 am, according to the central government’s Sameer app, which provides hourly updates on the National Air Quality Index. Other cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) fared similarly poorly, with Greater Noida recording an AQI of 398, while Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram reported AQIs of 382, 380, and 356, respectively. Faridabad had the best air quality in the region, with an AQI of 258.
At 8 am, AQI readings from several monitoring stations in Delhi were as follows:
- Alipur: 454
- Anand Vihar: 467
- Ashok Vihar: 459
- Aya Nagar: 355
- Bawana: 467
- Burari Crossing: 449
- CRRI Mathura Road: 431
- Delhi Technological University: 448
- Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range: 402
- Dwarka (Sector 8): 429
- IHBAS (Dilshad Garden): 320
- ITO: 436
- Jahangirpuri: 468
- JLN Stadium: 414
- Lodhi Road: 312
- Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium: 428
- Mandir Marg: 415
- Mundka: 436
- NSIT Dwarka: 289
- Najafgarh: 358
- Narela: 446
- Nehru Nagar: 463
- North Campus (Delhi University): 437
In response to the deteriorating air quality, the Centre for Air Quality Management (CAQM) reimposed Stage 4 anti-pollution measures under the Graded Action Response Plan (GRAP), effective immediately across NCR.
Delhi’s AQI had already reached 399 at 9 pm on Monday and surpassed 400 by 10 pm, triggering an emergency meeting by the CAQM. Officials decided to reinstate Stage 4 restrictions after the air quality worsened. On December 5, the Supreme Court had permitted the CAQM to ease restrictions from Stage 4 to Stage 2, following an improvement in the AQI levels across NCR.
Stage 4 GRAP restrictions include a ban on all construction activities, a ban on the entry of polluting trucks carrying non-essential goods into Delhi, and a mandatory shift to hybrid mode for school classes, except for those in grades X and XII.
