Delhi woke up to another smog-filled morning on Saturday, with the Air Quality Early Warning System recording an average AQI of 341, firmly in the ‘very poor’ bracket. This comes just a day after a brief dip in pollution levels, when the city saw a 28-point improvement.
Half of November under smog
Residents have now spent over a fortnight of the month in dangerous air, as the pollution continues to fluctuate between ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’. The easing of GRAP-3 restrictions earlier this week has brought very little relief on the ground. Large parts of the city continue to battle dense smog and low visibility.
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Major hotspots stay in the red zone
Key stretches like India Gate and Kartavya Path were wrapped in thick haze early in the day again, recording an AQI of 346. Other locations that continued to be smog-hit included Anand Vihar and Dhaula Kuan.
The CPCB data showed several neighbourhoods stuck in the ‘very poor’ category: Alipur (319), Anand Vihar (354) and Aya Nagar (324) among them, with PM2.5 levels driving the decline in air quality. Industrial clusters fared worse: Bawana (364), Narela (387) and Okhla Phase 2 (340) continued to see elevated readings. The IGI Airport area offered comparatively better air, but still in the ‘poor’ range at 295.
Residents express discomfort and confusion
As per a report by the Times of India, locals reported growing unease over health issues-especially irritation in the eyes and discomfort in breathing. "Nothing can be seen around here. Today I didn’t wear the mask, thinking I could do it, but as soon as I came out, I felt it: my eyes were getting irritated, so I put the mask back on and got out. It is very difficult to live here", Atul, a cyclist at Kartavya Path, told ANI, mentioning that the government seems to be active on "social media" but not on the grounds.
Some residents also expressed worry over speculation that ash from a volcanic eruption in Ethiopia may worsen Delhi's air. Environmentalists, however, have noted that such ash is unlikely to have an immediate impact on the city's AQI.
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Administration and political reactions
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, "The government is monitoring the situation daily and taking appropriate steps regularly to curb pollution. The steps we take today will give results in the future."
The issue has turned political once more with Parliament's winter session beginning on December 1. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi called for an urgent debate, saying children in Delhi were being forced to grow up breathing toxic air, and accusing the Centre in an X post, for showing "no urgency" in addressing the crisis.
