Delhi woke up to another day of suffocating smog on Tuesday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) stayed firmly in the ‘very poor’ category. At 7 am, the city recorded an overall AQI of 363, showing only marginal improvement from Monday. Despite the ongoing implementation of GRAP-III restrictions, pollution levels remain stubbornly high across the national capital and NCR.
Several monitoring stations breached the 400 mark early in the morning, slipping into the ‘severe’ category. Rohini reported the highest AQI at 416, followed by Anand Vihar at 401. Jahangirpuri and Wazirpur logged an AQI of 400 each by 8 am, highlighting the widespread deterioration in air quality. Many locations hovered dangerously close to severe levels, signaling persistent health risks for residents.
Key areas like AIIMS and Safdarjung also reported reduced visibility due to dense smog. AQI near these hospitals stood at 323. Popular commercial and residential hubs continued to suffer: Chandni Chowk (354), RK Puram (390), ITO (384), Punjabi Bagh (391), Patparganj (378), Pusa (359), and Dwarka Sector-8 (379).
Meanwhile, concerns rose after the eruption of Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi shield volcano in the Afar region. Satellite data showed ash from the eruption spreading across the Red Sea. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) noted that the ash plume was drifting eastward toward China and would move away from India by 7:30 pm on Tuesday. Forecast models indicated that some influence of volcanic ash could be observed over Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana throughout the day.
Although the ash cloud is not expected to cause major deterioration, experts warn that the ongoing local pollution crisis remains a more pressing contributor to Delhi’s toxic air.
