Overview
- Citywide readings showed sustained deterioration, with CPCB reporting a 7 am average AQI of 318 and 29 of 40 stations in the very poor category, including hotspots such as Mundka, Anand Vihar and Bawana.
- Official forecasts from the Centre’s Early Warning System and IMD indicate the very poor conditions will persist through the week, with only brief, minor improvement possible on windier periods.
- Delhi authorities intensified enforcement with a cleanliness and dust-control drive, penalties of about ₹7 crore, 48 construction site closures and more than 1,750 inspections across the capital.
- Source-attribution modelling identifies urban transport as the largest local contributor at roughly 16.5%, followed by industries (~8.1%), residential emissions (~4%) and construction (~2.3%).
- The pollution episode spans the region, with Lucknow’s AQI at 208 (poor) and Lahore averaging 291 (very unhealthy) as Punjab officials expand anti-smog operations including drone surveillance and vehicle crackdowns.