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18h ago

Delhi’s Air Quality Slides Back to ‘Very Poor’ After Brief Respite as Several Stations Touch ‘Severe’

A wind shift plus a spike in Punjab farm fires drove the reversal, officials say.

Since Diwali, Delhi NCR’s AQI has remained in the ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ range.
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Overview

  • Citywide readings jumped from an AQI of 218 on Friday to 303 on Saturday and 377 by 7 am Sunday, with multiple sites crossing 400 into the ‘severe’ band, CPCB data show.
  • IMD and DSS attributed the surge to calm conditions, shallow mixing, and a wind shift that transported regional pollution, with stubble smoke adding to a high local baseline.
  • The Indian Agricultural Research Institute logged 442 farm fires in Punjab on Saturday, while DSS estimates showed stubble burning’s share rising to roughly 9% as transport remained the top contributor at about 16%.
  • Authorities kept GRAP Stage II in force, barred entry of non‑Delhi‑registered BS‑III and lower commercial goods vehicles from November 1, doubled NDMC parking fees, and continued on‑ground mitigation with sprinklers and enforcement teams.
  • Cloud seeding was tried twice and then paused due to insufficient moisture, hospitals reported more respiratory complaints, and short‑term forecasts warned of several days in the ‘very poor’ range without stronger winds or rain.