Overview
- CPCB data showed a morning AQI of 318 and a 24‑hour average of 314 by 4 pm, with 27 stations in the very poor band and hotspots such as Mundka, Anand Vihar, Bawana and Akshardham topping 350.
- The Centre’s Early Warning System projects very poor air through the week with a risk of slipping toward severe, as IMD and Skymet see no significant dispersion despite a brief rise in minimum temperatures under a western disturbance.
- A coalition of leading physicians, including Dr Naresh Trehan, Dr Devi Shetty and Dr Randeep Guleria, issued a joint advisory urging authorities to treat severe smog episodes as a public‑health emergency and to expand protective guidance for vulnerable groups.
- Delhi’s Decision Support System attributes the largest local share to transport at about 17.7%, with additional inflow from nearby districts such as Jhajjar, Sonipat and Rohtak adding to the city’s particulate load.
- The pollution episode spans multiple cities, with Lahore averaging 291 as authorities intensify 24/7 anti‑smog operations, Lucknow remaining in the poor range around 205, and Mumbai reporting morning haze (Bandra AQI 125) alongside closures of 19 ready‑mix concrete plants; Delhi has also stepped up inspections, fines and construction site closures.