New Delhi: Delhi woke up to hazardous air conditions on Friday as pollution levels remained alarmingly high amid an ongoing cold wave. The city’s overall Air Quality Index stood at 346 early in the morning, placing it firmly in the “very poor” bracket, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Monitoring stations across the capital painted a grim picture, with most recording pollution levels well above the safe limit. Areas such as RK Puram, Wazirpur and Patparganj reported AQI readings in the mid- to high-370s, while Chandni Chowk, Ashok Vihar and ITO also remained heavily polluted. None of the monitored locations showed any significant improvement during the early hours.
Under the national AQI scale, readings above 300 indicate air that can cause respiratory discomfort even to healthy individuals, while posing serious risks to children, the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.
Compounding the situation, Delhi is also in the grip of a cold wave. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said minimum temperatures hovered around 5.4 degrees Celsius, conditions that often trap pollutants close to the ground and worsen smog.
Weather-related disruptions were also reported beyond the capital. Dense to extremely dense fog blanketed large parts of northern and eastern India, severely reducing visibility at several airports. Early morning data showed zero visibility at airfields in Amritsar, Chandigarh, Pathankot, Adampur, Hindon and Saharanpur, raising the likelihood of flight delays and cancellations.
Poor visibility extended across much of Punjab, Chandigarh and western Uttar Pradesh, affecting both air and surface transport. In Delhi, Palam recorded visibility of about 800 metres, while Safdarjung saw it dip to roughly 700 metres amid shallow fog.
Elsewhere, moderate fog conditions prevailed. Visibility was reported at around 200 metres in cities such as Varanasi and Jammu, while Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh recorded slightly clearer conditions at 350 metres. Kanpur and Gorakhpur saw marginal improvement, with visibility reaching close to 400 metres.
Pollution levels have shown little change over the past day. On Thursday morning, Delhi’s AQI was recorded at 352, also falling in the “very poor” category, indicating that residents are likely to continue breathing unhealthy air unless weather conditions shift or emissions reduce.
Authorities have advised people to limit outdoor activities, especially during early morning and late evening hours, as the combination of cold temperatures and heavy pollution continues to pose health risks across the region.
