New Delhi: Large areas of the national capital woke up to dense fog on Tuesday, reducing visibility in several localities and coinciding with a deterioration in air quality levels, official data showed.
According to figures released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 256 at 7 am, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. Readings from multiple monitoring stations indicated that air pollution ranged from poor to very poor across much of the city.
Among the worst-affected areas, Chandni Chowk recorded an AQI of 324, while Wazirpur logged 316. Okhla Phase-2 also crossed into the very poor bracket with a reading of 310. Other locations reported elevated pollution levels, including Ashok Vihar at 287, Dwarka Sector 8 at 293, Mundka at 297, Punjabi Bagh at 295 and RK Puram at 300. ITO registered an AQI of 248, while Bawana and Burari recorded 239 and 234, respectively.
Relatively cleaner air was observed in the city’s northern outskirts, with Narela recording an AQI of 168 and Alipur at 212, both in the moderate range, the CPCB data showed.
As per national air quality standards, AQI values between 201 and 300 are categorised as ‘poor’, while readings above 300 fall into the ‘very poor’ bracket.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the city’s temperature hovered around 12 degrees Celsius in the early morning hours, conditions that often contribute to the accumulation of pollutants during winter months.
Amid the worsening air quality, the issue has once again entered the political spotlight. On Sunday, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called for a dedicated discussion in Parliament on air pollution and urged the Centre to allocate adequate funds in the upcoming Union Budget to address the crisis.
In a video shared on social media, Gandhi appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to recognise air pollution as a national health emergency, stressing the need for coordinated action and a long-term strategy. He said concerns expressed by citizens reflected widespread anxiety, particularly over the health of children and the elderly.
The Congress leader also posted that pollution has moved beyond being solely an environmental concern and now poses a direct threat to public health, adding that people were seeking concrete action rather than policy statements.
The Budget session of Parliament, which began recently, will run for 65 days across 30 sittings and is scheduled to conclude on April 2. Both Houses will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 to allow parliamentary committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries.
