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Delhi continued to grapple with a terrible aerial contamination situation connected Sunday (January 18, 2026) greeting arsenic aerial prime successful the nationalist superior remained successful the 'severe' category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded astatine 439 astatine 7 a.m., according to information released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The concern worsened overnight, with the AQI recorded astatine 432 astatine 10 p.m. connected Saturday (January 17), placing it successful the 'severe' category, earlier deteriorating further by aboriginal Sunday morning.
The persistent precocious contamination levels person raised superior wellness concerns, peculiarly for children, the aged and radical suffering from respiratory and cardiovascular ailments.
Also Read | Dense fog blankets New Delhi; aerial prime scale astatine 376
Several areas crossed the metropolis reported alarmingly precocious contamination levels, reflecting the wide quality of the contamination crisis. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 489, Ashok Vihar 463, Bawana 467, Chandni Chowk 464, Dwarka Sector 8 469, ITO 448, Narela 412, Punjabi Bagh 476, RK Puram 467 and Wazirpur 478.
All these locations fell nether the 'severe' category, indicating highly mediocre aerial prime and heightened wellness risks.
As per AQI classification, a speechmaking betwixt 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'.
Furthermore, visibility crossed the metropolis remained mediocre arsenic acold question conditions continued and dense fog covered ample parts of Delhi.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that dense fog persisted successful the greeting hours, with mean fog observed astatine respective locations and dense fog astatine isolated spots.
Minimum temperatures connected Sunday (December 18) hovered betwixt 5 and 7°C, remaining beneath mean by 1.6 to 3°C. In effect to the deteriorating aerial quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) connected Saturday (December 17) reinvoked Stage-IV measures nether the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) crossed Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
"Keeping successful presumption the prevailing inclination of aerial prime and applicable factors and successful an effort to forestall further deterioration of aerial prime successful the region, the CAQM Sub-Committee connected GRAP unanimously decides to invoke each actions arsenic envisaged nether Stage-IV of the extant GRAP - 'Severe+' Air Quality (DELHI AQI > 450), with contiguous effect, successful the full NCR, arsenic a proactive measure.
This is successful summation to the actions nether Stages I, II & III of the extant GRAP already successful unit successful NCR," the bid from the CAQM read.The bid further added, "NCR Pollution Control Boards and different agencies acrophobic person been asked to escalate the preventive measures to forestall further deterioration of aerial prime successful the region."With terrible pollution, acold question and dense fog persisting, authorities person urged citizens to bounds outdoor activities, travel wellness advisories, and instrumentality precautions against the hazardous aerial quality.
