Overview
- Delhi averaged 404 AQI on Thursday after 418 on Wednesday and 426 on Tuesday, and hovered around 399–404 on Friday, with many hotspots still in the ‘severe’ range.
- Multiple CPCB stations reported hazardous levels, including Bawana at 460, Chandni Chowk 445–455, Wazirpur 444 and Anand Vihar 431, even as a few sites dipped to ‘very poor’.
- GRAP Stage III remains active across Delhi-NCR, banning most non-essential construction, restricting BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars, and shifting primary classes to hybrid; Gurgaon and Faridabad ordered hybrid classes up to Class 5.
- IITM/DSS estimated farm fires contributed a season-high 22.47% of PM2.5 on Wednesday and about 12% on Thursday, while transport remained the leading source near 20% amid calm winds, nighttime inversions and minimum temperatures near 10.6°C.
- The Supreme Court called the pollution ‘very serious’, said masks may be insufficient, urged virtual hearings and directed Punjab and Haryana to file action reports, with the matter listed for November 17.