Delhi freezes as cold wave intensifies, AQI remains in 'very poor' category
New Delhi, January 13
Delhi woke up to a chilly morning on Tuesday as the temperature dropped to 4 degrees Celsius, with a cold wave and dense fog continuing to affect the national capital, while air quality remained a concern with the overall Air Quality Index recorded in the very poor category.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 337, falling under the 'very poor' category as of 8 am today.
Several locations in the national capital continued to record AQI levels above 300. Nehru Nagar reported the pollution level at 358, Jahangirpuri at 357, Anand Vihar at 411 and RK Puram at 365. Patparganj recorded an AQI of 366, Wazirpur 375, Vivek Vihar 366, Siri Fort 342, Rohini 397, Okhla Phase 2 296, Chandni Chowk 380 and Dwarka Sector 8 384, as per CPCB data till 8 am.
As per AQI classification, a reading between 0 and 50 is 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'.
A day earlier, New Delhi reeled under an intense cold spell as temperatures dipped sharply across the national capital, with Ayanagar recording the lowest minimum temperature at 2.9 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Several parts of the city witnessed cold wave conditions on Sunday night, with minimum temperatures plunging close to the three-degree mark. Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 3.0 degrees Celsius, its lowest in several years. IMD data suggests that similar cold conditions are likely to persist through the day.
At Safdarjung, the minimum temperature was 4.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday night and is expected to drop further to around 3 degrees Celsius tonight. The Ridge station recorded a minimum temperature of 3.7 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature there reached 18.8 degrees Celsius.
— ANI
Reader Comments
My heart goes out to all the homeless and street vendors in this weather. The government should immediately open more night shelters and provide warm clothes. The cold wave is brutal.
Anand Vihar at 411! That's practically 'severe'. And we are sending our kids to school in this? Authorities need to reconsider the odd-even scheme or something more stringent. Public health should be the top priority.
The combination of dense fog and poor air quality is a nightmare for commuters. Flight and train delays are expected. Please travel only if absolutely necessary and drive safely. #DelhiWinter
While the immediate focus is on the cold, we must acknowledge that the long-term air pollution crisis requires a multi-state approach. The blame game between Delhi and neighbouring states over stubble burning needs to stop. We need cooperative federalism to find a solution.
My mother's asthma has worsened so much. The doctor said directly it's because of the air. We've bought two air purifiers but what about people who can't afford them? This is an unequal crisis. 😔
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