How severe is Delhi air today? Toxic blanket thickens as AQI slips into red zone at 400

Delhi woke up to a blanket of dense and lingering haze on Thursday as the capital city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 400, entering the ‘severe’ category.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's AQI was recorded at 399 at 8:00 AM, amid low wind speeds and dipping temperatures.

The air pollution levels in Delhi have remained close to the severe mark for the sixth consecutive day today.

Delhi: Pollution hotspots

Multiple monitoring stations across Delhi registered AQI levels above 400 on Thursday.

Here are some of the pollution hotspots in the city with ‘severe’ readings on the CPCB-developed Sameer app:

• Wazirpur: 477
• Anand Vihar: 427
• RK Puram: 424
• Punjabi Bagh: 441
• Mundka: 441
• Jahangirpuri: 453
• Burari Crossing: 410
• Bawana: 443

Lodhi Road reported the lowest AQI among 39 stations, recording 269, which still falls within the ‘poor’ category.

As per the CPCB’s classification, AQI between 301 and 400 is considered ‘very poor’, while levels between 401 and 500 are categorised as ‘severe’.

MCD orders strict dust-control

The Standing Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), on Wednesday, chaired by Satya Sharma, discussed the rising air pollution levels and the need to strengthen dust-control measures.

Sharma directed zonal deputy commissioners to ensure that mechanical road sweeping machines operate in all shifts, and submit reports pertaining to it to the Standing Committee everyday. Any breakdown of sweeping machines must be repaired within 72 hours, she ordered.

Officials were also told to clear loose soil, construction debris and accumulated dust from roads within 24 hours.

Call for citizen-volunteers

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa called for stronger public engagement through citizen-volunteer networks and grievance platforms such as the Sameer and Green Delhi apps, saying a clean-air future "depends on partnership between the government, institutions and residents".

The minister also stressed that real-time pollution surveillance -- including AI-enabled tools, hotspot identification, traffic management inputs and continuous industry and vehicular emission checks -- will be integrated more closely into policy-making and enforcement.

Air quality likely to remain in ‘severe’ category

Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ zone for at least the next six days, cautioned the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ Air Quality Early Warning System.

The Decision Support System of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, estimated that vehicular emissions contributed 18 per cent to Delhi’s pollution on Wednesday, while stubble burning’s share stood at 3.8 per cent.

For Thursday, these are projected at 16.1 per cent and 2 per cent respectively.