Delhi air quality turns severe as smog thickens across NCR, Jind tops pollution ranking in country
New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality entered the severe category on Friday, with the official air quality index (AQI) reaching 403 at 7.30am as smog enveloped the capital. Pollution across the National Capital Region also remained dangerously high, while other major Indian cities recorded considerably lower readings.
The figure was 82 points higher than 24 hours earlier, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data cited by the Hindustan Times. Of 59 reporting stations, 32 recorded severe pollution, with IIT Delhi registering 488. On the official scale, 401-500 is severe.
Fine particles known as PM2.5 dominated at 48 monitoring stations. Their concentration reached 244 micrograms per cubic metre on Thursday evening, four times India’s 24-hour standard. Weak winds and a shallow atmospheric mixing layer trapped emissions from vehicles, industry, construction dust and waste burning close to the ground.
Smoke from agricultural fires also contributed to the pollution. Nasa satellite observations cited by Hindustan Times detected 4,107 fires in Punjab and Haryana from October 1 to November 12, including 96 on Thursday. The figure was below last year’s 4,220, although satellite passes can miss fires lit later in the day.
How India’s major cities compare
The Friday snapshot from private monitoring platform AQI.in, reported by NDTV, recorded Delhi at 562 at 8.11am. Hyderabad registered 179, Kolkata and Chennai 170 each, Mumbai 159 and Bengaluru 103. The Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad figures were updated at 8.51am.
These readings follow the platform’s own AQI methodology and cannot be directly compared with CPCB’s 403. Chennai reported PM2.5 at 82 micrograms per cubic metre, Hyderabad at 95 and Bengaluru at 36, highlighting pollution concerns outside northern India despite the lower index readings.
Jind tops national pollution ranking
Haryana’s Jind topped the Times of India’s Friday live national city ranking at 957, followed by Charkhi Dadri at 801. These are platform-reported figures, not official CPCB measurements, and their ranking can change.
Separately, Reuters reported that Delhi had overtaken Lahore in IQAir’s ranking of the world’s most polluted major cities.
In the NCR, official Sameer app readings cited by LiveMint showed Ballabhgarh at 419 around 7.05 am, Ghaziabad at 379, Noida 368, Greater Noida 356 and Gurugram 351. This placed Ballabhgarh alongside Delhi in the severe category, with the other locations recording very poor air.
Restrictions and weather outlook
Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan, invoked by the commission for air quality management on November 6, remains in force. Measures restrict certain older petrol and diesel four-wheelers and dust-generating construction activity, and require hybrid classes for children up to Class V in specified NCR districts.
An IMD-linked forecast issued Thursday anticipated very poor air quality through Sunday, November 15, but Friday’s observed reading was already severe. With little immediate relief expected, children, older people and those with respiratory conditions are advised to avoid strenuous outdoor activity, while exposure can be reduced with well-fitted N95 masks.
