Delhi residents continued to struggle with toxic air on Tuesday as the city's air quality hovered near the severe level in multiple areas. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 384 by 9 a.m., marking dangerously high pollution levels across the city.
Data from the CPCB's Sameer app showed that 13 out of 38 monitoring stations in Delhi had AQI readings above 400, placing them in the "severe" category. Key areas experiencing these hazardous levels included Anand Vihar, Dwarka, NSIT Dwarka, Nehru Nagar, Rohini, Jahangirpuri, and Punjabi Bagh, among others.
AQI levels between 400 and 500 are classified as "severe," a range that can affect even healthy individuals and severely impact those with pre-existing health conditions. According to the CPCB, AQI ratings range from 0-50 for "good," 51-100 for "satisfactory," 101-200 for "moderate," 201-300 for "poor," 301-400 for "very poor," and 401-500 for "severe."
On Monday, Delhi's average 24-hour AQI stood at 381, one of the highest in the country, indicating persistent pollution. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department reported a minimum temperature of 17.6 degrees Celsius with humidity levels reaching 94 percent by 8:30 a.m. Forecasts predict mostly clear skies with temperatures rising up to 33 degrees Celsius.