Delhi AQI 377: 20 Stations Turn ‘Severe’ as Smog Thickens

That steady climb over about two weeks explains why the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has now applied Stage II restrictions across the entire National Capital Region with immediate effect, as Diwali gets closer.

Bad air in every part of the city

The station-wise data shows that this is no longer a problem of a few pockets. Of Delhi's 59 air quality monitoring stations, 20 reported 'severe' air and 33 were in the 'very poor' range. Only the remaining stations recorded 'poor' air.

Punjabi Bagh recorded the worst reading at 456, followed by Jahangirpuri at 450. Mundka (436) and the area around IIT Delhi (438) were also near the top. Severe readings came from every direction:

• North: Bawana 411, Rohini 436, DU North Campus 416, DTU 435
• South: RK Puram 428, Siri Fort 419, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 411
• East: Sonia Vihar 424, Vivek Vihar 435
• West: Dwarka Sector 8 recorded exactly 400

Even the stations that stayed below 'severe' were well inside the 'very poor' band. These included NSUT Jaffarpur (383), Najafgarh (379), IGI Airport T3 (360), Nangloi (361), Burari (360), NSIT Dwarka (346), Tikri Kalan (340), Nehru Nagar (339), Vasundhara Enclave (333), Karala (308), Chhawla (302) and the Commonwealth Sports Complex (390).

Why this matters now

The timing makes this especially concerning. Colder, calmer winter conditions are already trapping the smog close to the ground, and Diwali is days away. The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi expects the air to stay 'very poor' until at least Friday, November 6. So the city goes into the festival season with no forecast relief and very little room for things to get worse.

GRAP is meant to work in steps, and each stage adds to the one before it. The Stage I measures stay in force. They include promoting public transport, checking Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates, banning diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years, stopping the use of coal and firewood at roadside eateries and commercial tandoors, and limiting the use of diesel generator sets.

For residents, the near future looks like hazy mornings, cold evenings and air that remains dangerous to breathe. The next few days will show whether the extra Stage II curbs can slow the rise. If the AQI keeps climbing through the festival week, more restrictions under the next stage of the action plan could follow.