Dense fog in Delhi for second consecutive morning, AQI worsens to 'very poor'

Dense fog over Delhi for a second consecutive morning reduced visibility to zero in several areas leading to 81 trains being delayed and 15 flights getting diverted officials said on SaturdayThe Met Office said there was zero visibility since 1130 pm on Friday at Palam and 1230 am on Saturday at SafdarjungThe air quality in DelhiNCR has deteriorated to the very poor category with the Air Quality Index AQI of the national capital recorded at 383 on Saturday according to the Central Pollution Control BoardThis marks the second consecutive day that the citys air quality has remained in this categorySome regions even recorded an AQI of 400 plus Anand Vihar 469 Ashok Vihar 423 ITO 401 Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium 418 RK Puram 415 Okhla Phase 2 459Furthermore the neighbouring cities of Faridabad 312 Noida 465 Gurugram 363 and Ghaziabad 414 also exhibited poor air quality levels significantly increasing health risksFollowing a brief respite at the end of 2024 due to heavy rainfall that improved Delhis air quality to the moderate category the conditions worsened again as the AQI slipped to the poor category on ThursdayIn response to the rising pollution levels the Commission for Air Quality Management CAQM has reimplemented Stage III measures under the Graded Response Action Plan GRAP GRAP is a framework designed to combat air pollution through a tiered system of interventions based on AQI severityStage III restrictions which include curbs on industrial activities and construction work are activated when the AQI surpasses 350 while Stage IV measures are enforced if the index crosses 400The Supreme Court has previously instructed authorities to promptly implement GRAP measures when thresholds are exceededCAQM officials attributed the worsening air quality to dense fog low wind speeds and other unfavourable meteorological factorsOn Saturday morning the Air Quality Index AQI exceeded 350 reaching 371 by 400 pm The India Meteorological Department IMD has forecast that these adverse conditions are likely to persist keeping air quality in the very poor category in the coming daysTemperatures in Delhi have also plummeted with a minimum of 7degC recorded on Saturday morning exacerbating the situation Dense fog has further disrupted daily life and commutes across the regionGRAP measures range from Stage I for poor air quality AQI 201300 to Stage IV for severe plus conditions AQI above 450Restrictions under Stage III include bans on construction and demolition activities the closure of brick kilns and enhanced monitoring of industrial emissionsDelhi is currently dealing with significant air pollution and thick fog In response officials are advising residents to limit their exposure refrain from outdoor activities during times of high pollution and implement preventive measures to protect their healthWith inputs from Agencies