Key Highlights

• Back to ‘very poor’: Delhi’s overall AQI stood at 310 on Monday morning, after last week’s rain had briefly cleared the air.
• Hotspots: Alipur (382), Chandni Chowk (361), North Campus (359) and Dwarka Sector-8 (357) were among the worst-affected stations.
• Day-one crackdown: On the first day of the Winter Action Plan, authorities collected Rs 68.4 lakh in penalties and environmental compensation, checked nearly 15,000 vehicles and turned back 1,539 at the borders.
• Daily routines change: Delhi government offices now run 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., MCD offices 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and parking at authorised municipal sites costs double until February 28.
• Construction freeze ahead: Construction and demolition will be banned from December 10 to January 20, apart from specified exemptions.

For a few days last week, Delhi got a break. Rain washed the dust and smoke out of the air, and residents could see the skyline clearly. By Monday morning, that break had ended. The first real winter chill came to Delhi-NCR, and the city’s overall Air Quality Index went back up to 310, which puts it in the ‘very poor’ category.

The timing matters. Cold, still air in early November usually traps pollutants close to the ground, and this year a bright, dry forecast offers little help. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects temperatures between 17 and 29 degrees Celsius, with no rain warning for the capital. Punjab and Haryana are also expected to stay mostly dry.

Station readings show the problem across the city. Alipur recorded 382, Chandni Chowk 361, North Campus at Delhi University 359, Dwarka Sector-8 357, Sirifort and Burari Crossing 354 each, and NIH Narela 353. Mandir Marg and Pusa both stood at 340, CRRI Mathura Road at 334, Talkatora Garden at 322, and JNU and Nangloi at 319. Even the relatively better areas, such as Chhawla (213), Jharoda Kalan (237) and Badarpur (258), were still in the ‘poor’ range.

A Policy That Changes Daily Routines

This season, Delhi’s response is less about emergency switches and more about planned, fixed-term rules. The Delhi government’s Winter Action Plan took effect on November 1 and will stay in force in phases until February 28. It targets three main sources: vehicle emissions, dust and road congestion.

The changes reach ordinary commuters as well as polluters. Delhi government offices now open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Municipal Corporation of Delhi offices run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The staggered hours are meant to spread out peak-hour traffic. Parking charges at authorised municipal sites have also been doubled to push people away from private vehicles.

The biggest step is still to come. Construction and demolition will stop completely from December 10 to January 20, except for specified exemptions. This will affect builders, contractors and daily-wage workers during the coldest weeks of the year.

The first day already showed how strict enforcement could be. According to official data available till 5 p.m. on Sunday, authorities imposed penalties and environmental compensation worth Rs 68.4 lakh. Of this, Rs 56.6 lakh was for Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) violations, Rs 2 lakh for breaking vehicle entry restrictions, and Rs 9.8 lakh as environmental compensation for dust-control violations at construction and demolition sites. Enforcement teams checked nearly 15,000 vehicles, turned back 1,539 at border points and issued 566 PUCC challans.

For drivers, the message is clear: an expired pollution certificate now carries a real cost. PUCC penalties made up more than 80 per cent of the first day’s collection.

The rest of the country is seeing very different weather. While the north settles into cooler, drier days, Cyclone Murasu is expected to strengthen in the Bay of Bengal before it nears the Andhra Pradesh coast, and southern and eastern regions are getting ready for heavy rain. In the Himalayas, winter is setting in at Spiti, Ladakh and Kedarnath.

For Delhi, the coming weeks will test whether the action plan can actually lower pollution levels, or whether the city once again ends up waiting for rain or wind to clear the air.

(With inputs from IANS)

Key Highlights

• Back to ‘very poor’: Delhi’s overall AQI stood at 310 on Monday morning, after last week’s rain had briefly cleared the air.
• Hotspots: Alipur (382), Chandni Chowk (361), North Campus (359) and Dwarka Sector-8 (357) were among the worst-affected stations.
• Day-one crackdown: On the first day of the Winter Action Plan, authorities collected Rs 68.4 lakh in penalties and environmental compensation, checked nearly 15,000 vehicles and turned back 1,539 at the borders.
• Daily routines change: Delhi government offices now run 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., MCD offices 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and parking at authorised municipal sites costs double until February 28.
• Construction freeze ahead: Construction and demolition will be banned from December 10 to January 20, apart from specified exemptions.

For a few days last week, Delhi got a break. Rain washed the dust and smoke out of the air, and residents could see the skyline clearly. By Monday morning, that break had ended. The first real winter chill came to Delhi-NCR, and the city’s overall Air Quality Index went back up to 310, which puts it in the ‘very poor’ category.

The timing matters. Cold, still air in early November usually traps pollutants close to the ground, and this year a bright, dry forecast offers little help. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects temperatures between 17 and 29 degrees Celsius, with no rain warning for the capital. Punjab and Haryana are also expected to stay mostly dry.

Station readings show the problem across the city. Alipur recorded 382, Chandni Chowk 361, North Campus at Delhi University 359, Dwarka Sector-8 357, Sirifort and Burari Crossing 354 each, and NIH Narela 353. Mandir Marg and Pusa both stood at 340, CRRI Mathura Road at 334, Talkatora Garden at 322, and JNU and Nangloi at 319. Even the relatively better areas, such as Chhawla (213), Jharoda Kalan (237) and Badarpur (258), were still in the ‘poor’ range.

A Policy That Changes Daily Routines

This season, Delhi’s response is less about emergency switches and more about planned, fixed-term rules. The Delhi government’s Winter Action Plan took effect on November 1 and will stay in force in phases until February 28. It targets three main sources: vehicle emissions, dust and road congestion.

The changes reach ordinary commuters as well as polluters. Delhi government offices now open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Municipal Corporation of Delhi offices run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The staggered hours are meant to spread out peak-hour traffic. Parking charges at authorised municipal sites have also been doubled to push people away from private vehicles.

The biggest step is still to come. Construction and demolition will stop completely from December 10 to January 20, except for specified exemptions. This will affect builders, contractors and daily-wage workers during the coldest weeks of the year.

The first day already showed how strict enforcement could be. According to official data available till 5 p.m. on Sunday, authorities imposed penalties and environmental compensation worth Rs 68.4 lakh. Of this, Rs 56.6 lakh was for Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) violations, Rs 2 lakh for breaking vehicle entry restrictions, and Rs 9.8 lakh as environmental compensation for dust-control violations at construction and demolition sites. Enforcement teams checked nearly 15,000 vehicles, turned back 1,539 at border points and issued 566 PUCC challans.

For drivers, the message is clear: an expired pollution certificate now carries a real cost. PUCC penalties made up more than 80 per cent of the first day’s collection.

The rest of the country is seeing very different weather. While the north settles into cooler, drier days, Cyclone Murasu is expected to strengthen in the Bay of Bengal before it nears the Andhra Pradesh coast, and southern and eastern regions are getting ready for heavy rain. In the Himalayas, winter is setting in at Spiti, Ladakh and Kedarnath.

For Delhi, the coming weeks will test whether the action plan can actually lower pollution levels, or whether the city once again ends up waiting for rain or wind to clear the air.

(With inputs from IANS)