Delhi's air quality reaches 'severe' as AQI nears dangerous 500 mark

Delhi residents woke up to an alarming sight on Thursday as dense smog blanketed the city, drastically reducing visibility and pushing air quality to hazardous levels. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's average Air Quality Index (AQI) soared to 432, marking the air as "severe."

Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 473, IGI Airport's Terminal 3 stood at 435, and ITO recorded 421, all indicating dangerously poor air quality levels as of 7:00 a.m., per CPCB data.

Delhi’s First "Severe" AQI This Season

Since October 30, Delhi’s AQI has consistently hovered in the "very poor" range. However, Wednesday saw the season's first breach into the "severe" category, signalling a further deterioration in air quality.


The persistent smog, initially originating over parts of Punjab and eastern Pakistan, had spread across northern India by Wednesday. When combined with local pollutants, it created a thick, toxic haze over Delhi and its surrounding areas. The capital’s average AQI surged to 418, the worst in the country, a level not seen since January 14, when it reached 447.

No Restrictive Actions Yet

Despite the critical AQI levels, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) classified the spike as an "episodic event," choosing not to initiate restrictive actions under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) yet.

The CAQM expressed optimism for an improvement, forecasting that anticipated strong winds could help reduce AQI levels to the "very poor" range by Friday.

Understanding AQI Levels

The CPCB classifies AQI levels as follows: 0-50 is considered "good," 51-100 "satisfactory," 101-200 "moderate," 201-300 "poor," 301-400 "very poor," 401-450 "severe," and any reading above 450 is marked as "severe plus."

With pollution levels showing no signs of immediate improvement, Delhi's air quality remains a pressing public health issue as residents endure yet another hazardous season.