Overview

• The CAQM enforced Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan across Delhi-NCR after the city’s 24-hour average AQI reached 211 on October 14.
• By Wednesday, five monitoring stations reported 'very poor' readings above 300 — Anand Vihar 345, Wazirpur 325, Dwarka Sector 8 314, DU North Campus 307, and CRRI Mathura Road 307 — even as the citywide average remained in the 'poor' range.
• Stage I deploys a 27-point package that includes strict dust control at construction sites, bans on open waste burning, intensified vehicle checks and action against visibly polluting or overage vehicles, limited use of diesel generator sets, and a shift to clean fuels at eateries.
• Official data identified ground-level ozone and PM10 as prominent pollutants in recent days, with DSS estimates showing stubble fires contributing around 0.5–0.6% to PM2.5 while transport accounted for about 19.8%.
• IMD, IITM and the Early Warning System expect weak dispersion due to clear skies and lighter winds, keeping air quality in the 'poor' band with a likelihood of 'very poor' episodes around or after Diwali.