Overview
- CPCB data showed Delhi’s average AQI at 347 on Tuesday morning in the ‘very poor’ band, with hotspots such as Anand Vihar at 417 and earlier Akshardham at 426, while Noida and Ghaziabad logged 324 and 326.
- The CAQM sub-committee activated GRAP Stage-II and directed DPCC and NCR state boards to ensure strict compliance, alongside public appeals to use mass transit and avoid open waste or biomass burning.
- The 12-point plan includes daily vacuum sweeping and anti-dust spraying, intensified checks at construction sites, DG-set restrictions, traffic coordination, higher parking fees to discourage private vehicles, more CNG and electric buses, and a ban on non-compliant buses entering Delhi.
- Residents described choking conditions with burning throats, eye irritation and sharply reduced visibility, and multiple monitoring stations reported air in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ range.
- The Supreme Court had permitted ‘green’ crackers under limited conditions, yet reports noted widespread violations and late-night traditional fireworks; isolated claims of AQI near 999 were reported by some outlets but are not consistently reflected in official datasets.