New Delhi:

The air quality in the national capital was in the ‘severe’ category on Tuesday morning with an AQI of 427 while the minimum temperature was 5.9 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal.

Out of 35 monitoring stations, 28 recorded air quality in the ‘severe’ category while some breached the 450 mark, classified as ‘severe plus.’ The remaining seven stations recorded air quality in the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Sameer app, which provides hourly data from the Central Pollution Control Board.

An AQI of 400 or higher is deemed “severe” and it can have an adverse effect on both healthy individuals and people with medical conditions.

The weather department said, “Mainly calm winds prevailed over Delhi during the past 24 hours, bringing down visibility from 800 meters in shallow fog at Palam on Monday to 350 meters in moderate fog at Safdarjung on Tuesday morning.” It added that moderate fog conditions (visibility between 200m and 500m) are likely to persist in Delhi over the next two days due to the expected prevalence of calm or easterly surface winds.

Humidity was 97 per cent at 8:30 am.

The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to settle at 24 degrees Celsius and 5 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The Centre’s air quality panel for Delhi-NCR on Monday imposed the strictest Stage 4 curbs under the winter air pollution control plan, including a ban on all construction activities, as the region’s air quality deteriorated to ‘severe’ due to unfavourable weather conditions.

Stage 4 curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for winters also include a ban on the entry of polluting trucks carrying non-essential goods into Delhi and mandatory shifting of school classes, except those for X and XII, to hybrid mode.

The decision to impose Stage 4 curbs came just hours after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented restrictive measures under GRAP Stage 3, following Delhi’s AQI breaching the 350 mark in the afternoon.

During winters, Delhi enforces restrictions under GRAP, which categorises air quality into four stages — Stage I (Poor, AQI 201-300), Stage II (Very Poor, AQI 301-400), Stage III (Severe, AQI 401-450), and Stage IV (Severe Plus, AQI above 450). 

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New Delhi:

A thick blanket of smog continued to grip Delhi and its adjoining areas on Tuesday morning, as the air quality nearly touched the 500 mark. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) data, Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 494 at 6 am – in the ‘severe plus’ category.

Of the 35 monitoring stations in the national capital, most recorded an AQI of 500. The lowest AQI of 480 was recorded at NSIT Dwarka, the real-time data showed.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued an ‘orange’ alert for dense fog for the second consecutive day.

Trains and flights have been delayed or cancelled as the visibility plunged due to the toxic smog in India’s capital. At least 22 trains were delayed and nine others were cancelled on Tuesday morning, reported news agency ANI.

IndiGo Airlines, in an advisory late-night, said, “Foggy weather in Delhi, Amritsar, and Chandigarh is affecting travel conditions, including slow-moving traffic and possible changes to flight operations. Please plan accordingly and stay updated on the flight status for a smooth journey.”

#6ETravelAdvisory : Foggy weather in Delhi, Amritsar & Chandigarh is affecting travel conditions, including slow-moving traffic and possible changes to flight operations. Please plan accordingly and stay updated on the flight status for a smooth journey https://t.co/rpnOvAOxQl

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) November 18, 2024

On Monday, the Delhi government imposed Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), an anti-pollution plan – in addition to the first three stages.

Under the GRAP-4 measures, a ban has been imposed on Delhi-registered BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles. All trucks and light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi will not be allowed to enter the national capital, except for those carrying essential commodities or providing essential services.

Additionally, public and private offices have been asked to work at 50 per cent capacity and the rest have been recommended to work from home. All schools have been either closed or gone online.

According to a government release, the state government may consider additional emergency measures such as the closure of non-emergency commercial activities, and permitting the running of vehicles on an odd-even basis of registration numbers.

Schools shut across Delhi-NCR

Schools across Delhi-NCR have been shut owing to the severe air pollution and hazardous AQI levels.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said that all physical classes till Class 12 have been suspended and all studies are being shifted online. The Delhi University and the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have decided to conduct online classes till November 22

In Haryana’s Gurugram, all classes up to Class 12 have been suspended from November 19 to November 23 or until further notice. Ghaziabad, which touched AQI of 450, has also directed schools to go online. The district administration in Gautam Buddh Nagar too has directed schools to discontinue all physical classes.

Supreme Court raps Delhi government

On Monday, the Supreme Court directed Delhi and the NCR states to strictly implement GRAP 4 measures and questioned why it took so long to impose them. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih also instructed Delhi-NCR states to immediately form teams to monitor compliance with actions required under the plan.

The court also ordered that the GRAP 4 measures must continue even if the AQI falls below 450, adding that they cannot be relaxed with the top court’s permission.