New Delhi, Nov 28 (UNI) Delhi woke up to another morning of choking smog on Friday as air quality deteriorated across the National Capital, with multiple neighbourhoods reporting ‘severe’ pollution levels and visibility dropping sharply in the early hours.
Real-time air quality data around 11 am showed the city’s overall AQI at 315, falling under the hazardous bracket. Concentrations of PM2.5 (227 µg/m³) and PM10 (295 µg/m³) remained several times above safe limits. Weather conditions, including overcast skies, high humidity (68 percent), and low wind speeds of 7 km/h, further contributed to the accumulation of pollutants near the ground.
Anand Vihar was among the worst-hit areas, with dense smog blanketing the region as the AQI climbed to 408, according to monitoring data earlier in the day. Roads appeared heavily shrouded, with headlights cutting through the haze.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s morning bulletin, several key areas in the ‘severe’ zone include Ashok Nagar with 417 AQI, Bawana with 413, Chandni Chowk with 408, Jahangirpuri with 420, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with 401, and Burari Crossing with 403. Other locations, such as ITO (393), Najafgarh (365), Sirifort (394), and Sri Aurobindo Marg (354), remained in the ‘very poor’ range, continuing a pattern of sustained air quality deterioration.
With winter temperatures expected to drop further and wind movement remaining sluggish, experts warn that the air quality is unlikely to improve in the coming days. Fog formation in the early hours is likely to worsen visibility and trap pollutants even more tightly over the next few days.
With many stations now breaching the 400-mark, Delhi may be heading into one of the harshest pollution phases of this season yet.
