Overview
- CPCB data showed Delhi’s citywide AQI slipping back below 300 on Friday after hitting 373 the previous day, though several hotspots such as Bawana, Wazirpur and parts of northwest Delhi stayed in the very poor to severe range.
- Weather agencies linked Thursday’s spike to calm winds, a temperature inversion and high humidity, while isolated trace rainfall and brief dispersion helped Friday’s improvement.
- Authorities kept GRAP restrictions and vehicle curbs in force, NDMC doubled parking fees to discourage driving, and CAQM’s rule barring entry of non‑BS‑VI commercial goods vehicles from November 1 was reiterated.
- Delhi’s cloud‑seeding trials were put on hold until moisture increases, after officials and IMD reported only about 10–15% cloud moisture during initial attempts.
- Across Pakistan’s Punjab, IQAir readings flagged extremely poor air with Faisalabad topping provincial charts, as the Punjab government reported intensified enforcement against crop burning and non‑compliant industry and the EPD cited polluted easterly inflows from India.